Does Healthy Gut = Healthy mood? New Study says yes!
August 5, 2017
Does your gut bacterial composition affect how you feel and behave? Neuroscientists will tell you “Yes, absolutely.” A recently published study has shown that the gut microbial profiles are related to the brain structures, and they can affect how people respond to various emotional stimuli. According to the author, Dr. Kirsten Tillisch, an associate professor at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, two clusters of bacterial genera have been identified from the subjects’ stool samples. When researchers looked at the brain structure, they found variations such as the volume and surface area of the brain between these two groups. Additionally, when the subjects are shown with emotional stimuli, their brain activities also varied.
These results support that an interaction between the gut bacteria and the brain exist in healthy people. Further research is needed to uncover this interaction. Also, the conclusion indicates that by modulating the gut bacterial composition, physicians could potentially treat the behavioral and mood disturbance. Next time, if you feel moody, the bacteria in your gut might be the trouble-maker!