We have been following the famous motto “Mens sana in corpore sano” for centuries. And while the meaning we give you now is far from the original, the truth is that a healthy body really harbors a healthy mind. Among the many tests that support it For this, we find detailed research that, in recent years, has shown that gut bacteria can influence emotions.
We all know the feeling of ‘butterflies in the stomach’. Recent research has shown that this metaphor may be true. Since the early 21st century, scientists have studied the link between bacteria living in the intestines and mental health.
- However.
- This is not new.
- As early as the 20th century.
- Doctors and scientists have written a lot about the content of the colon.
- Especially the harmful bacteria that live there.
- Which can contribute to fatigue.
- Depression and neurosis.
Although early studies and hypotheses on the influence of gut bacteria on the brain have been rejected as pseudoscientific, over the past 15 years, scientists have begun to re-examine the link between the gut and the brain. Researchers discover that communication between the gut and brain is actually a two-way pathway.
The brain influences immune and gastrointestinal functions, which can alter the composition of the gut microbiome; In turn, those found in the gut produce neuroactive compounds, neurotransmitters and other metabolites that can act in the brain. It has been found in research with mice that some of these compounds may also influence the permeability of the blood brain barrier, preventing harmful substances from entering the brain.
A few years ago, the scientific community began to study how, specifically, gut bacteria can influence emotions, for example, we have known in recent years that microorganisms in the gut secrete a lot of chemicals and that among these chemicals are the same substances. used by our neurons to communicate and regulate our mood, such as dopamine, serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). These, in turn, seem to play a role in bowel diseases that coincide with high levels of depression and anxiety.
In addition, we have long known that much of our neurochemical contribution comes from the gut, where these chemical signals regulate appetite, feeling fullness and digestion. However, just a few years ago, research seriously examined the role of microbes in releasing these very special chemicals.
Recently, UCLA researchers identified the gut microbiota that interacts with regions of the brain associated with mood and behavior. This may be the first time that behavioral and neurobiological differences associated with microbial composition in healthy humans have been identified, as previous animal studies have been conducted.
This study reaffirms that brain-microbiota interactions can play an important role in our health and even our behavior. Previous research has already suggested that the microbiota, the community of microorganisms in the gut, can influence behavior and emotions.
But does the intestine affect the brain or the brain influence the gut?Is it not known if it is the gut that influences the brain and its development or if it is the brain that influences the gut, do researchers warn that it is difficult to draw causal conclusions?that go beyond the association?because it is still a young field, in which most large-scale studies are still ongoing.
Research is underway on the influence of gut bacteria on brain function, but much remains to be discovered and clarified. So far, the various lines of research have clarified that:
There is no doubt that the microbiota is an important modulator of health and emotions, which must be considered part of a complex and multifaceted communication system, necessary to establish a healthy balance in the development of the brain, so being attentive to what science discovers, It is better to take care of our body and be attentive to the messages that they can send us.