Important Points:
- Diabetes
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Fatigue
- Multiple Sclerosis
How do gut bacteria affect brain health?
Gut bacteria shape how the brain works. In mice, a germ-free gut lowered anxiety and increased myelination, the protective coating that breaks down in multiple sclerosis, and human studies tie gut bacteria to type 2 diabetes and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Our brain is one of the most complex living structures known to man. Until recently, we have viewed the brain as sole and central to our body’s function, but today there is new information telling us that the brain might not be working on its own. We would never typically associate the brain’s complicated functions with the system responsible for processing our food, but there is a strong connection. Our brain function is heavily influenced by our gut, specifically by our gut bacteria.
Through science, we have determined that there is good and bad microbiota within our digestive system. Its careful balance is important in our nutrition and ultimately our survival. According to the study done by the European Academy of Neurology, the function of those bacteria may not be limited to nutrition alone. They have determined that this microbiota is capable of eliciting bravery and even triggering the disease process for multiple sclerosis. The research points out that mice that have a germ-free intestinal environment experience a state of relaxation, relatively free from anxiety, producing an effect of increased bravery. It was also shown that when the gut is maintained germ-free, there is an associated increase in the formation of the brain’s protective structure in the form of myelination. Lack of myelination or damage to the myelin sheath is one of the pathologic processes behind Multiple Sclerosis.
The strong link between the gut and the brain does not end there. A research finding published by the University of Illinois shows that gut microbiota can alter the body’s endocrine function. In the study, it was found out that black males with Type 2 Diabetes have significantly lower number of good bacteria and more of the bad ones.
Another recent study confirms the importance of a healthy microbiota to healthy rest and was published by Cornell University. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a condition in which normal activity causes extreme weakness which is not alleviated by rest, has stumped doctors for decades. The findings revealed that those with the condition have a distinct inflammation found in the gut. Upon further analysis, it was found out that people with chronic fatigue syndrome have intestinal bacteria that can trigger the immune response causing the debilitating condition.
Recent studies all point out the significance of the gastrointestinal system in neurologic, endocrine, and inflammatory diseases. Perhaps a better approach is to start exploring the gut for the culprits first instead of focusing on the affected organ. It also opens up the playing field to new classes of drugs that can alter the microbiota instead of targeting the brain itself.
Frequently asked questions
What is the gut-brain connection?
The gut-brain connection is the link between your digestive system and how your brain works. Your gut holds both good and bad bacteria, and their balance matters for more than nutrition. Research ties these bacteria to anxiety, multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes and chronic fatigue syndrome, which is why the gut is worth checking first instead of looking only at the organ that is affected.
Can gut bacteria affect anxiety?
Yes, in animal research. The European Academy of Neurology reported that mice kept with a germ-free gut were more relaxed, largely free of anxiety and noticeably braver. The finding shows that the bacteria in your gut can change behavior, not only digestion, and it is one reason researchers now look to the gut when they study the brain.
Are gut bacteria linked to multiple sclerosis?
Research points that way. The same European Academy of Neurology work found that gut bacteria can trigger the disease process behind multiple sclerosis. When mice were kept germ-free, their brains built more myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers. Loss of myelin, or damage to it, is one of the core problems in multiple sclerosis.
Is chronic fatigue syndrome connected to the gut?
A Cornell University study says yes. Chronic fatigue syndrome causes extreme weakness after normal activity that rest does not fix, and it stumped doctors for decades. The researchers found that people with the condition carry a distinct inflammation in the gut, and that their intestinal bacteria can set off the immune response behind the illness.
Do gut bacteria play a role in type 2 diabetes?
They appear to. A University of Illinois at Chicago study found that gut bacteria can change the body’s hormone (endocrine) function. Black men with type 2 diabetes in that study had significantly fewer good bacteria and more bad ones. Along with the brain findings, it shows how much of the body’s chemistry runs through the gut.
Sources
European Academy of Neurology. (2016, May 29). Connections between gut microbiota and the brain. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 5, 2016 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160529174445.htm
University of Illinois at Chicago. (2015, March 6). Gut bacteria may contribute to diabetes in black males. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 5, 2016 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150306102752.htm
Cornell University. (2016, June 27). Chronic fatigue syndrome is in your gut, not your head. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 5, 2016 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160627160939.htm
