A new study published in Nature Mental Health has found that the gut and brain work together to build resilience against stress, contributing to a growing body of research that suggests the gut may be a potential pathway for preventing or minimizing stress-related psychiatric conditions.
The study identified a high-resilience phenotype of the gut microbiome based on a mix of microbes and metabolites with anti-inflammatory and gut-barrier integrity features. This phenotype was associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression. The researchers also used clinical and psychological assessment tools, as well as MRIs that examined structural and functional roles of the brain.
The main finding suggests that “the microbiome is critical in shaping resilience” and modifying the gut microbiome “can optimize mental health.” The study included 116 healthy participants aged between 18 to 60 years old. The research found that high resiliency was associated with biomarkers indicating better gut barrier integrity, lower depression and anxiety psychopathology, higher cognitive function, less gray matter volume in the brain, and increased functional circuitry in the brain.
Arpana Church, the lead author of the study and an associate professor at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, believes that this research has implications for how we can boost resilience because all these things are changeable and manipulatable. Researchers are now working on clinical trials that will test diet interventions, probiotics and prebiotics, and brain-directed therapies to help prevent or slow down the progression of stress-related psychiatric conditions.
The research emphasizes the importance of gut health for mental wellbeing, suggesting that good gut health supports good mental health. It also highlights the potential benefits of a diverse diet in promoting a healthy gut microbiome and optimal brain functioning. Going forward, researchers will focus on studying ways to manipulate the brain and the gut microbiome to prevent disease or slow down its progression.
