Mind the Gut: Abstract

The human gut is inhabited by more microorganisms than the number of human cells in our bodies, which collectively express 150 times as many genes as our own cells. The gut microbiota play crucial role in maintaining our gut homeostasis and influence many key processes such as digestion, drug metabolism, or functioning of the immune system.

Surprisingly, the gut microbiome might also be capable of influencing our brain chemistry, behaviour, and state of mind! Studies in germ-free mice and in mice exposed to pathogenic bacteria, probiotics or antibiotics have shown that the gut bacteria can regulate our anxiety, mood, cognition and pain (Cryan and Dinan, 2012).

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