Healthy bacteria in your guy could be crucial to tackling stress, suggests a study.
California researchers looked at more than 100 adults without mental health conditions and conducted polls about resiliency and mental health. They were divided then into two groups: low and high resiliency. Each participant additionally underwent MRI scans and provided stool samples.
The team found that the high-resiliency group had a stronger gut barrier and lower inflammation than those who were less resilient. A strong barrier is critical for absorbing nutrients and blocking gut toxins.
They didn’t look at patients with mental health conditions.
The relationship is based on direct communication between the digestive and brain systems. One example includes the gut sending satiety or hunger signals to the brain.
Researchers said these feelings could lead to treatments that can utilize bacteria in the gut to personalize mental health care.
Senior study author and co-director of the UCLA Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, Dr. Arpana Gupta, said, “If we can identify what a healthy, resilient brain and microbiome look like, then we can develop targeted interventions to reduce stress.” The UCLA team evaluated 116 adults who hadn’t been diagnosed with a mental health condition.
Around 61 percent of participants were female, with the remainder being male.
Most participants in both groups were white, closely followed by Asian adults. The average BMI was around 28, which is termed overweight.
All participants provided stool samples and underwent MRI scans with at-home kits two or three days before the test.
The week prior, they filled out detailed questionnaires about diet.
In a self-reported survey, participants answered questions about their resiliency on a scale of zero to four (not true at all to true nearly all the time).
The total score consisted of seven factors: trust in one’s instincts, personal competence, tolerance of adverse outcomes and stress, high standards and tenacity, control, accepting change and securing relationships, and spiritual influence.
Higher scores equal higher resiliency — meaning they could respond better to adversity and handle stress.
Researchers found that those in the high-resiliency group were less depressed and anxious, better at regulating their emotions, and less prone to judgment than those who were less resilient.
In addition, this group had healthier microbiomes, which are a network of parasites, bacteria, and fungi that regulate immune, digestive, nervous system, and hormone health.
Researchers said these participants excreted chemicals linked to lower inflammation and stronger gut barriers compared to less resilient ones.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the study adds to a plethora of recent research on the connection between the gut and brain, which influences satiety, hunger, digestion, food cravings, stress, metabolism, and immunity.
“Resilience truly is a whole-body phenomenon that not only affects your brain but also your microbiome and what metabolites that it is producing,” said Dr. Gupta.
Dr. Desiree Delgadillo, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA and study author, added: “We have this whole community of microbes in our gut that exudes these therapeutic properties and biochemicals, so I’m looking forward to building upon this research.”
However, there were several limitations. Researchers noted future studies should also include participants with mental health conditions like PTSD and depression, and more research is needed in general to confirm the findings.
