Healthy bacteria in the gut could be the key to fighting stress, study suggests.
Researchers in California looked at more than 100 adults without mental health problems and conducted surveys about their mental health and resilience.
They were then divided into two groups: high and low resilience. Each participant also underwent MRI scans and was provided with stool samples.
The team found that the high resilience group had lower inflammation and a stronger intestinal barrier than those who were less resilient. A strong barrier is essential to absorb nutrients and block toxins from the intestine.
They did not observe patients with mental health problems.
The relationship is based on direct communication between the brain and the digestive system. An example includes the gut sending hunger or satiety signals to the brain.
The researchers said these findings could lead to treatments that can use gut bacteria to personalize mental health care.
Researchers at the UCLA Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center suggested that more resilient people have stronger gut barriers and microbiomes.
Dr. Arpana Gupta, lead author of the study and co-director of the UCLA Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, said: “If we can identify what a healthy, resilient brain and microbiome look like, then we will be able to develop targeted interventions in those areas to reduce the stress”. ‘
The UCLA team evaluated 116 adults who had not been diagnosed with any mental health conditions.
About 61 percent of the participants were women, while the rest were men.
The majority of participants in both groups were white, closely followed by Asian adults. The average BMI was about 28, which is classified as overweight.
All participants underwent MRI scans and were provided stool samples with home kits two to three days before testing.
And the week before, they filled out detailed questionnaires about their diet.
In a self-reported survey, participants answered questions about their resilience on a scale from zero (not true at all) to 4 (true almost all of the time).
The total score was composed of seven factors: personal competence; high standards and tenacity; trust your own instincts; tolerance to negative outcomes and stress; accept change and secure relationships; control; and spiritual influence.
Higher scores meant greater resilience, meaning they were better able to handle stress and respond to adversity.
The researchers found that those in the high resilience group were less anxious and depressed, less likely to judge, and better at regulating their emotions than those who were less resilient.
Additionally, this group had healthier microbiomes, which is the network of bacteria, parasites, and fungi that regulates the health of the digestive, immune, hormonal, and nervous systems.
The researchers said these participants excreted chemicals linked to lower inflammation and stronger intestinal barriers compared to those with less resilience.
The study adds to a mountain of recent research on the gut-brain connection, which influences hunger, satiety, food cravings, digestion, metabolism, stress and immunity, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“Resilience is really a whole-body phenomenon that not only affects the brain but also the microbiome and the metabolites it produces,” Dr. Gupta said.
Dr. Desiree Delgadillo, an author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA, added: “We have this whole community of microbes in our gut that exude these therapeutic and biochemical properties, so I’m looking forward to taking advantage of this research.”
However, there were several limitations. The researchers noted that future studies should also include participants with mental health conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and more research is generally needed to confirm the findings.
The study was published last week in Nature Mental Health.