Gut Bacteria's Role in Anxiety and Depressio
For decades, experts scoffed at the idea that gut bacteria affect our mental health. Many called it a fringe theory. Yet mounting evidence suggests that intestinal microbes profoundly shape our thinking and behavior. While the human genome consists of roughly 25,000 genes, the swarm of microbes in your gut expresses about 3 million distinct genes. Many of these bacterial genes help build molecules that let you digest food, keep harmful microbes at bay, and even feel emotions. For starters, the bacteria in your gut produce about 90 percent of the serotonin in your body — the same happy hormone that regulates your moods and promotes well-being. While researchers continue to map the workings of what they’ve dubbed the “gut-brain axis” — the two-way communication link between the GI tract and the central nervous system — many already think it creates a major potential avenue for mental health treatment. Since the concept of the gut-brain axis went mainstream, labs have accumulated even more evidence to support the notion. One Australian study published in 2017 even suggests that a diet higher in beneficial bacteria can banish depression in more than a third of people. Microbes have also shown promise for less common mental health disorders: In a 2019 paper on a Japanese trial, 12 of 29 participants with schizophrenia who ingested a specific Bifidobacterium strain saw their depression and anxiety symptoms lift within four weeks. The trademarked prebiotics in GUT FOOD AND REPAIR BY BIOME AND BEYOND are clinically proven to increase and balance the populations of beneficial bacteria in the gut and increase the levels of Short Chain Fatty Acid Production. Visit us Today