| Journal of Food Bioactives, ISSN 2637-8752 print, 2637-8779 online |
| Journal website www.isnff-jfb.com |
Viewpoint
Volume 9, March 2020, pages 4-9
Is there a role of gut microbiota in mental health?
Table
| Summary: Gut microbiota as a one-fits-all solution in mental health is unrealistic, since the pathogenesis of mental disorders is multifactorial and complex. Exact alterations in gut microbiota underlying mental disorders are unknown and microbiome analyses are of limited diagnostic use in clinical practice. Large-scale, longitudinal trials need to examine whether the gut microbiota is a valid therapeutic target in mental disorders. |
| The gut has a large, independent nervous system, which communicates bi-directionally with the brain through the gut-brain axis |
| Connections between gut microbiota and both normal and pathological brain functions have been revealed |
| Gut microbiota affect a wide range of their host’s physiological processes, including behavior |
| Gut microbiota are essential for the development of neuronal systems involved in social activity and anxiety behavior in rodents |
| Intestinal dysbiosis is linked to behavioral impairment: Role of gut microbiota in mental health |
| Highly processed foods, which reduce intestinal microbial diversity, are associated with an elevated risk of mental disorders |
| Altered gut microbial composition in neurodevelopmental disorders, including ASD, schizophrenia and ADHD, has been found: Involvement of microbial dysbiosis in their pathogenesis |
| The links observed between an imbalance of gut microbiota and behavioral and mental impairment in humans are correlational: Relationship of cause and effect? Reciprocal effects of impaired brain neurophysiology on gut microbiota |
| No distinct gut microbiota patterns have been linked to different mental disorders |
| Treatment approaches modulating gut microbiota in mental disorders include dietary changes (e.g. probiotics) and fecal microbiota transplantation |
| The potential of fecal microbiota transplantation in human mental disorders is unknown |
| Probiotics have been shown to improve mood, anxiety and cognition in animal models |
| Randomized trials have revealed beneficial effects of probiotics on mood in humans |
| Evidence in support of the use of probiotics in mental health is insufficient: beneficial strains, dosage, method of administration and treatment duration |