Mental Health and the Brain-Gut-Microbiota Axis: Fundamental Importance of Diet

Excerpt: 

The Mediterranean diet is regarded as the most beneficial diet from a mental health perspective. The benefits of such a diet are mediated significantly through the brain-gut-microbiota axis. Abnormalities in this axis have been described in the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Individual components of the Mediterranean diet may be beneficial in treating mental health problems. The most extensively studied components include polyunsaturated fatty acids, psychobiotic bacteria, prebiotics and polyphenols. However, more rigorous scientific investigation is required before definitive statements can be made.

The lay public usually view bacteria in a negative light, associated with infective illness. At some stage most of us, have experienced a gut infection that has caused diarrhoea and/or nausea and such infections transiently impact our mood. This is a fact that has been recognised at least from the time of Galen in ancient Rome. In contrast, modern medicine has viewed commensal bacteria in our intestine as harmless and of little benefit. However, it is now becoming clear that certain gut bacteria may positively influence our mood and behaviour. The manner in which they achieve this is gradually being unravelled. The implications of this and the ways in which we can manipulate the gut microbiota are the focus of this chapter.

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by Prof. Ted Dinan

Medical Director