Supplements to boost probiotics — the helpful microorganismsthat reside in our bodies — can alter theway people process emotional information andease anxiety and depression, new research suggests.Gut bacteria may also affect the immune system,which could in turn, influence the brain, Philip Burnet,researcher at the University of Oxford was quoted assaying. For the study, researchers recruited 45 healthypeople aged 18 to 45 years to take either a probioticsupplement to boost “good” bacteria or a placebo, everyday for a period of three weeks.They completed several computer tests to assess howthey processed emotional information such as negativeand positive words.During one test, people who took the supplement paidless attention to negative information and more attentionto positive information, compared with people who took aplacebo, the findings showed.