CWho has never made a gut decision? We say it when we believe we have left the field free to instinct, but that’s not really the case: in fact, we have a “second brain” in our belly that continuously communicates with the first and it is because of him (or thanks) that we get gastritis when we are under stress or feel butterflies in our stomach when we fall in love. This is why taking care of your intestines also means having a healthier brain, a more stable mood and even a healthy relationship with food.as was explained yesterday 26 January in Bologna during the conference Belly and brain, a two-way streetdedicated to understanding how and why the gut is so crucial to mental health and beyond.
Intestine and mental health, watch out for the microbiota
It’s all about the microbiotathat is, the set of microorganisms that populate the intestine: there are over one thousand billion bacteria, viruses and fungi which weigh a total of about one and a half kilos and which depend, in quality and quantity, on the environment in which we live, on the the food we eat, our lifestyle, our genetic heritage, our personal history.
Above all, bacteria play a prominent role because more than other microorganisms they are able to metabolise the substances that reach the intestine, so it is no coincidence that we speak of “good” bacteria (the so-called probiotics) or “bad”. Today it is becoming more and more evident that the intestinal flora has a lot to do with our mood: serotoninthe “happiness neurotransmitter”, for example, 90 percent of it is produced by intestinal bacteriawhich are also essential for maintaining good cognitive ability.
In fact, more and more studies are demonstrating that in many neurological and psychiatric diseases there are alterations in the intestinal flora, the “dysbioses”, which send negative “messages” to the brain. It happens, for example, inanxiety and depressiontwo more frequent problems among women and perhaps not by chance, as he specifies Vincenzo Stanghellini, director of the Medical Clinic of the Sant’Orsola Polyclinic in Bologna: «It has been discovered, for example, that some probiotic bacteria express receptors for the hormone estrogen and are therefore more sensitive to fluctuations in the menstrual cycle, as well as to the estrogens possibly present in plants which are the main “food” of these germs (soy, for example, is a source of plant estrogens and can affect the survival of these bacteria, ed). It is therefore possible that at least in part the gender differences we observe in anxiety and depression depend on the quality and quantity of bacteria in the gut. Certainly, taking care of your belly is essential for mental health».
The good mood bacteria
It is to the point that today we are focusing on neurobiotics and psychobioticsthat is to say useful bacteria for mind and brain health as well as intestinal health. Psycho and neurobiotics send positive messages to the brain and several recent researches have shown that if they are administered in adequate quantities they can improve the symptoms of digestive disorders and those of anxiety and depression.
How to choose them? «There are still no shared protocols for the management of those with digestive problems associated with anxiety and depression, but some information on the strains most often involved already exists» replies Stanghellini. «Psycho and neurobiotics they can therefore be suggested as adjuvants, but like drugs they must be tested in the individualbecause there is no certainty of an effect: in fact, the “context” in which the microorganism finds itself matters a lot, the same bacterium can have different effects in different people, with different mucous membranes and conditions. There is therefore no rule that is valid always and for everyone regarding which probiotic to choose, at what doses to use it or for how much: for this reason it would be advisable to contact gastroenterologists, nutritionists but also psychiatrists or neurologists who are experts in the treatment of the intestinal microbiota for advice.”
Also because the only slogan approved by the European Food Safety Authority for probiotic-based products is “they promote the balance of the intestinal flora”: not all are the same and certainly some strains are more useful than others for rebalancing the moodbut in the absence (for now) of defined treatment protocols, the help of a doctor is necessary to orient yourself and purchase the most suitable supplement for your situation.
Help for the intestine (and mental health)
Some general rules, however, exist. Stanghellini explains: «We know, for example, that among the “good” bacteria there are Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, but above all that in healthy people it is not so much the quantity of these bacteria that matters, but rather the variety of species present: this means that it is a good rule to alternate any supplements and not always take the same product. The diet is obviously also of great help and we know that the Mediterranean diet is associated with a “good” microbiota thanks to the consistent contribution of vegetables. However, there are those who cannot eat too many vegetables or legumes, which are “food” for good bacteria, because they develop annoying gastrointestinal symptoms: in these cases theintegration with prebiotics (substances that promote the growth of good bacteria, ed.) can be particularly recommended.”
Transplantation is not the final frontier
However, anxiety and depression are not the only disorders in which the intestinal flora changes for the worse, on the contrary: in animals it has been seen that theand changes in gut bacteria that occur with age can impact memory and cognitive function, in humans alterations of the microbiota have been demonstrated in people with autism spectrum pathologies, in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and in eating disorders. Some studies suggest positive effects on the symptoms of these diseases thanks to microbiota transplant, which consists of transferring a mix of good bacteria purified from the feces of a healthy donor through a colonoscope or an enema (but in the future perhaps a pill will suffice). «The results are promising but it is not yet a routine approach» specifies the expert.
However, in anorexia nervosa it could prove to be of great help, because «it has been observed that even when patients recover because they change their diet and return to a normal weight, the “dysmicrobism” does not go away, the alterations in the intestinal flora remain. As if biological signs of the disease remained, which can have consequences on eating habits but also on mood” concludes Stanghellini.
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