Can a probiotic help you think if you have fibromyalgia, a disorder known for its cognitive issues? Perhaps so says a new study.

As probiotics continue to gain their deserved recognition in helping to alleviate and mitigate various issues originating in the GI tract, they are now also being considered for therapeutic use for a range of other conditions. It appears that this enteric system with a "brain" of its own has more influence over brain processes – which include thinking – than previously believed. For instance much of our neurotransmitters are manufactured in the GI tract. This fact alone means your GI health is linked to the health of your brain and nervous system.

With this knowledge in mind, a team of researchers in Spain hypothesized that fibromyalgia (FM) may benefit from probiotics, stating their use "might be a new treatment that could improve the physical, psychological and cognitive state in FM."

Over the past several years, TyH has been reporting on Dr. Cordero's studies with CoQ10 and fibromyalgia (FM) which lowers oxidative stress and improves energy. Another interesting study (which also includes Cordero) shows CoQ10 helps regulate serotonin, found low in FM, which may in turn help pain in this amplified pain condition.

The small clinical trial reports that disturbances in serotonin function impact the classic FM symptoms as this important chemical modulates pain, fatigue, sleep, cognition and mood. The reason why this disturbance happens or how it plays in the pathology or disease process of FM is not agreed on by researchers. However, restoring normal function could potentially help FM patients. Measured comparison of FM patients to healthy controls showed "marked" lower levels of both CoQ10 and serotonin in blood platelets. Previous research suggests platelets are good models of serotonin levels as found in nerve cells.