Introduction
With the recognition of the involvement of the gut microbiota in brain processes, mental health and cognitive function, exciting opportunities to produce benefits for brain function by manipulating the microbiota have come into focus. In this regard, the term psychobiotic was coined to describe any exogenous intervention that leads to a bacterially mediated impact on the brain [Leveraging this fundamental link between diet and the microbiota, emerging studies are also focusing on the impact of supplementation with single food items (e.g., whole fruits or vegetables or fermented foods), demonstrating some promising results in modulating microbiome-host interactions [However, more evidence from human trials is needed to translate pre-clinical findings to a clinical setting and to drive the development of human microbiota-targeted interventions. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate the potential of a whole diet psychobiotic approach to modulate the microbiota composition and function, affect responses to and feelings of stress and improve mood in a healthy population.