Ever experience a gut instinct? It appears that there may be more to that adage than we initially believed. The interesting relationship between our gut and our brain is becoming more and more clear thanks to recent study. The zillions of microscopic organisms that make up our gut microbiome can affect how well our brains work and may even contribute to some brain illnesses.
Investigating how our gut bacteria affect our nervous system was a goal of some curious scientists. Researchers looked at mice and found that when these creatures lacked intestinal microbes, certain alterations in their brains took place. The microscopic immune cells called microglia in the brain were the most impacted.
what is good news? These alterations were reversible by reintroducing intestinal microorganisms. What’s truly fascinating is that the researchers discovered a link between these microglial alterations and major depressive disorder and Alzheimer’s disease. Animal behavior tests conducted in the future confirmed this connection. This ground-breaking study explains how our gut flora affect the health of our brains and may lead to new understandings of depression and Alzheimer’s disease. Hence, the next time you take care of your gut, keep in mind that you may also be boosting your brain when you do so.
GIbiome 