How Gut Microbiome Affects Stress Levels

Ever have words pop out of your mouth before you can stop them? Well ... It happens to me less regularly than it used to, but unfortunately when it does happen it’s still unpleasant - and generally harsh, but can still be correct. Sometimes the truth just is unpleasant. But can still be helpful. A recent email survey to my community revealed that many people want to know more about the link between gut and brain health - and how to optimise the latter by improving the former. With this on my mind, during an in-person conversation around this topic, someone told me that all their middle-aged family members have big gut health challenges. Before I could stop myself I said: 'Tell them to prepare themselves for cognitive decline!' Of course they were shocked - and truth be told, so was I. Why was it so easy for me to blurt this out? > We are not what we eat, we are what we ABSORB. > Our brain runs on compounds that are synthesised from what we ABSORB. > A poorly functioning gut leads to inflammation, which crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB) and sets off a cascade of damage in neural tissue. > Poor gut function impacts mood directly which leads to changes in behaviour, few of which support optimal brain heath. > A poorly functioning gut leads to low immunity which also impacts physical and mental health. > Poor gut function impacts sleep negatively, and poor sleep interferes with the proliferation of good gut bacteria, both of which impact brain health negatively. > Overgrowth of specific bacteria, due to an imbalance between gut species, drive poor food choices which impact brain health negatively. > Poor gut health impacts cellular and neural energy production which directly impacts brain function. Despite this list being incomplete, you get the idea. Poor gut health cannot result in anything else but poor cognitive health. The fact that no one likes to talk about their gut function is part of the challenge, although interest in the topic does seem to be growing significantly. I don't mind how people find out about the important link between gut and brain health - it's likely easier to discuss it and share information online - as long as they DO something about such challenges! When last did something unpleasant, but true jump out of your mouth? And was it helpful? #neuroscience #mentalhealth #healthandwellness

The microbiota–gut–brain axis has been shown to play an important role in the stress response, but previous work has focused primarily on the role of the bacteriome. The gut virome constitutes a major portion of the microbiome, with bacteriophages having the potential to remodel bacteriome structure and activity. Here the researchers use a mouse model of chronic social stress, and employ 16S rRNA and whole metagenomic sequencing on faecal pellets to determine how the virome is modulated by and contributes to the effects of stress. They found that chronic stress led to behavioural, immune and bacteriome alterations in mice that were associated with changes in the bacteriophage class Caudoviricetes and unassigned viral taxa. https://lnkd.in/gmhD6Cvm

Life was 'normal' until it wasn't. He took a run the day before and felt strong. Hours later, the pain was so intense he could hardly walk. Fever and fatigue came next. We had no idea his symptoms had the potential to change his life and life as we'd known it. Tests and scans at the ER found the culprit- a tear in his gut. My super healthy husband, Andrew, was quickly admitted to the hospital to ward off the infected tear and sepsis. He was given super aggressive doses of IV antibiotics for the next three days- an essential protocol that was devastating to his gut health. Another round of antibiotics at home was the final straw and a sobering reminder of how gut health affects our mental health. The bright light in his green eyes dimmed. His never ending supply of energy was totally zapped. He felt sad and stressed- atypical feelings for him. Everything he ate turned his gut into a battlefield. The medical care he received successfully solved his gut tear and the infection. It also annihilated his gut biome along with the seratonin and dopamine it produced that fueled Andrew's stress response, high energy, good mood, and positive mindset. He's actively re-building the healthy bacteria in his gut. His energy is returning along with his bright eyes, good mood, and positive mindset. I'm sharing our story with you to shine a bright light on this topic. Gut health and mental health are inextricably linked and information is power. Love your gut so it can love you right back. #guthealth, #mindset, #stress