IBS
An article published in the US version of the Guardian asked if the microbiome is the key to health and happiness. it was reported that "The gut microbiome is a vast ecosystem of organisms such as bacteria, yeasts, fungi, viruses and protozoans that live in our digestive pipes, which collectively weigh up to 4.4 lbs. (heavier than the average brain). It is increasingly treated by scientists as an organ in its own right. Each gut contains about 100 trillion bacteria, many of which are vital, breaking down food and toxins, making vitamins and training our immune systems".The article also noted that "eight years ago, an investigation into irritable bowel syndrome drew (his) gaze towards the gut. Like people with depression, those with IBS often report having experienced early-life trauma, so in 2009, John Cryan and his colleagues set about traumatising rat pups by separating them from their mothers. They found that the microbiome of these animals in adulthood had decreased diversity".
Depression
In work done at the Children's Hospital of Phildelphia it was recently reported that microbiome transplants affected depression in rats (one has to kind of wonder how we really know rats are depressed). "In rats that show depressive-type behavior in a laboratory test, we found that stress changes their gut microbiome -- the population of bacteria in the gut," said study leader Seema Bhatnagar, PhD, a neuroscientist in Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). "Moreover, when we transplanted bacteria from those stress-vulnerable rats into rats that had not been stressed, the recipient animals showed similar behavior."
Alzheimer's
Of course it was inevitable that the linking of Alzheimer's to the microbiome would need to be studied. Sure enough, this December past, the University of Chicago announced that Sangram Sisodia, Ph.D. will be doing a research study that "will investigate the roles of the gut and brain microbiome on Alzheimer's disease and its related symptoms in humans and mice, particularly their interactions with immune cells and genes, and influence of the blood-brain barrier on these processes"
There will undoubtedly be many more studies to come on how the microbiome affects all aspects of our lives. There will be many surprising and mind shattering results that will change the way we understand disease and advance medical diagnosis and treatment. This is just the tip of the iceberg. And yes, it may very well be the key to our health and happiness (and unfortunately to disease and sadness).
"Is your gut microbiome the key to health and happiness?"Amy Fleming. The Guardian. Nov 6, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/nov/06/microbiome-gut-health-digestive-system-genes-happiness
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Transplanting gut bacteria alters depression-related behavior, brain inflammation in animals: Knowledge of stress biology may eventually yield bacterial treatments for psychiatric disorders." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190506163642.htm (accessed May 7, 2019).https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/microbiome-articles/2018/december/neuroscientist-receives-grant-to-study-microbiome-and-alzheimers
