© Steve Gschmeissner/SPL
Links between the central nervous system and the trillions of microorganisms in the human gut have been a major focus of research and public interest.
Links between the central nervous system and the trillions of microorganisms in the human gut have been a major focus of research and public interest.
The once-wild idea that intestinal bacteria influence mental health has transformed into a major research pursuit.
Just ten years ago, the idea that microorganisms in the human gut could influence the brain was often dismissed as wild. Not any more.
Links between the central nervous system and the trillions of bacteria in the gut - the microbiota - are now a major focus of research, public interest and press coverage. But how does this 'gut-brain axis' work? The mechanisms by which microorganisms shape aspects of brain functioning such as memory and social behaviour, and how they might contribute to conditions such as depression and neurodegenerative disease, are tenuous and often controversial.
Comment: While the prospect of a microbiome-brain connection had previously seemed like fringe hippy stuff, the idea is gaining more and more acceptance as further research seems to be confirming the connection. As the article above states, these are correlations, not cause and effect. However, there is evidence that changing the microbiome can indeed affect mood. In the not too distant future, caring for one's microbiome may have as much importance as caring for one's body.
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