Could taking probiotics help the post-baby blues?

New study reveals taking a live bacteria tablet during pregnancy could HALVE a mother's risk of post-natal depression

• New research reveals the benefits of taking probiotics during pregnancy
• Probiotics are a live 'bacteria' that can be found in fermented foods
• Study points to a simple way mothers could manage their mental health
• The outcome of this trial suggests an alternative to traditional medications

Women at risk of depression while pregnant, or after giving birth, could benefit from increasing their intake of probiotics during pregnancy, according to a recent New Zealand study.

In Australia, figures show that depression can affect up to one in ten women while they are pregnant, and almost one in seven are affected during the first year after birth.

Researchers from the University of Auckland and the University of Otago surveyed a sample group of 423 women who were between 14 and 16 weeks pregnant.

Taking a probiotic tablet once a day during pregnancy and in the first six-months after birth halved a mother's risk of clinically significant anxiety, the research found. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4990842/Taking-probiotics-pregnancy-helps-post-natal-depression.html

Lack of sleep is linked to depression and anxiety

• Rates of the condition fell by a fifth among insomniacs given therapy to help them rest
• Insomniacs are at greater risk of paranoia, depression, anxiety and nightmares
• Researchers at the Oxford University, monitored  3,890 sleep-deprived people
• They found that people who miss out on sleep damage their mental health

People who do not get enough sleep are at greater risk of paranoia, depression, anxiety and nightmares.

It was previously thought people struggling with depression and mental health problems could not sleep at night as a result.

But a study now shows it is probably the lack of sleep causing these issues and not the other way around. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4860076/Lack-sleep-linked-depression-anxiety.html

How rubbing your arms can banish bad memories

'Havening' technique helps you get rid of distressing thoughts

• Research team recruited a group of 27 people with anxiety or depression
• Havening can reduce symptoms by altering the way memories are stored
• It involves rubbing your arms and moving your eyes in a series of motions 
• Process works by boosting levels of the mood-stabilising brain chemical serotonin, which disrupts the link between the memory and the distress

If you're feeling anxious or struggling to deal with difficult memories, the simple act of rubbing your arms may help banish the emotional pain, according to a study.

The simple technique, known as Havening, can help reduce anxiety and depression by altering the way memories are stored or recalled.

The process is thought to work by boosting levels of the mood-stabilising brain chemical serotonin, which can disrupt the link between the memory of an event and the distress it causes.

So, while the memory can still be retrieved, it no longer causes anguish. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3385074/How-rubbing-arms-banish-bad-memories-Havening-technique-helps-permanently-rid-distressing-thoughts.html