Raquel Batista, a second year medical studen at Upstate Medical University.

And this is my medical student minute.

The coolest thing I learned in medical school this month is that certain probiotics can help us cope with stress.

Did you know our gut and brain are best buddies?

Let's div into this incredible connection.

Imagine your gut as a mini brain.

It contains around 100 million neurons forming the enteric nervous system, which communicates with our brain in a way that might surprise you.

This connection happens via the vagus nerve, a super highway of information.

When we eat something delicious, our gut sends happy signals to your brain, making us feel satisfied.

But it's not just about feeling satisfied.

Our gut buddies or gut microbiome, those trillions of bacteri that live in your gut, produced neurotransmitters like serotonin, the happy hormone.

In fact, about 90% of the body serotonin is made in the gut.

Research show that a healthy gut can influence mood and mental health.

One study revealed that a specific strain of bacteria given to participants was linked with an increased ability to handle negative moods, specifically by improving rumination.

This means they were better at managing their thoughts and feelings when they were feeling down.

So if we're feeling down, what we eat matters.

When we feed our gut buddies a diet rich and fruits, veggies and probiotics, they can return the favor by supporting our brains.

It's a win win.

Well, folks thanks for checking up with me.

I'm Raquel, and this has been my medical student minute.

See you in the produce aisle.