Is there a chance that what is in our gut may change what is in our brain?! 🦠🧠
A study looked at the connection between gut bacteria and depression and named the probable culprits for these mental issues. 🙇♀️ The researchers analyzed fecal microbiome in conjunction with diagnoses of depression in 1,054 people. They showed that two types of bacteria — Coprococcus and Dialister — were absent in the guts of those diagnosed with depression, even in those taking antidepressant medication.
In addition to this discovery, the team devised a technique allowing them to RANK the neuroactivity, or the bacteria’s ability to produce neuroactive compounds, of different human gut bacteria. 👩🏻🔬
This study allows us to identify different bacteria that may play a role in our mental states and gives us a new window into the connection between the gut and nervous system.
Valles-Colomer, M., Falony, G., Darzi, Y., Tigchelaar, E. F., Wang, J., Tito, R. Y., . . . Raes, J. (2019). The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression. Nature Microbiology. doi:10.1038/s41564-018-0337-x