DEPRESSION RELATED TO MISSING GUT BUGS?
DEPRESSION RELATED TO MISSING GUT BUGS?
Depressed? Could bacteria missing from your gut microbiome be to blame?
By Liz Moon, NP
Evidence continues to mount related to how the bacteria in our gut play a role in regulating mood. There have been several studies in mice that have indicated that gut microbes can affect behavior. Small studies of people have suggested the microbial environment is altered in patient suffering from depression. To understand the link in a larger population Jeroen Raes, a microbiologist at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, and his colleagues studied two large groups of Europeans and found several species of gut bacteria missing in people with depression. They are not able to conclude that the absence is a cause or effect but a possible correlation.
One microbe that subjects were found to be deficient in is Coprococcus. Raes and his colleagues found Coprococcus “seems to have a pathway related to dopamine, a key brain signal involved in depression, although they have no evidence how this might protect against depression. The same microbe also makes an anti-inflammatory substance called butyrate, and increased inflammation is implicated in depression.” These new findings are exciting for the clinical community and another step closer to understanding the mind-gut connection.
If you or someone you know suffers from depression, anxiety, or are experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms that may be related please contact us to schedule an appointment today! Dr. Tara Troy our Gastroenterologist and Liz Moon our Nurse Practitioner would love to discuss helping you create a healthy gut microbiome. Jed Foster, our Behavioral Therapist specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy, uses these tools to empower patients to help manage their conditions. Please call 224.407.4400 or visit www.compgihealth.com to schedule an appointment or learn more.