A recent study found that healthy bacteria in the gut could be the key to tackling stress.
A team of researchers in California examined more than 100 adults without mental health problems and conducted surveys about their mental health and resilience (high or low), with each participant undergoing MRI scans and providing stool samples. They filled out detailed questionnaires about their diet.
The team found that the group of participants with high resilience had less inflammation and a stronger gut barrier. A strong barrier is necessary to absorb nutrients and prevent toxins in the digestive tract.
It was also found that people in the “high resilience group” were less anxious and depressed, and better at regulating their emotions than those who were less resilient.
The study explained that this relationship depends on the direct connection between the brain and the digestive system, including the digestive tract sending hunger or satiety signals to the brain.
“If we can determine what a healthy, resilient brain and microbiome looks like, we can develop therapeutic interventions that target those areas to reduce stress,” said Dr. Arpana Gupta, senior author of the study and co-director of the UCLA Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center.
“Resilience is actually a whole-body phenomenon that affects not only your brain but also your microbiome and the metabolites it produces,” she added.
This study adds to a body of recent research on the relationship between the gut and the brain, which affects hunger, satiety, food cravings, digestion, metabolism, stress and immunity, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The researchers concluded that future studies should also include participants with mental health conditions such as depression and PTSD, and more research overall is needed to confirm the findings.
The study was published in the journal Nature Mental Health.