The microbiota-gut-brain axis in stress and depression
Humans and animals are evolved to have instinctive physiological responses to threats. The perception of threat by the brain triggers a multitude of changes across the brain and body. A large body of research have demonstrated that our hardwired survival instinct, the stress response, can become maladaptive and promote major depressive disorders and other neuropsychiatric impairments. However, gaps in our understanding of how chronic ...
Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis
Abstract
The bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and gut microbiota, referred to as the gut-brain-axis, has been of significant interest in recent years. Increasing evidence has associated gut microbiota to both gastrointestinal and extragastrointestinal diseases. Dysbiosis and inflammation of the gut have been linked to causing several mental illnesses including anxiety and depression, which are ...
Efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs in depression: A meta-analysis
Abstract
We conducted this meta-analysis of double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trials to estimate the efficacy of
omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), in the improvement of depression. We applied a systematic bibliographic search in PubMed and EMBASE for articles published prior to 20 December 2017. This meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 ...
The role of diet in the etiopathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease
Abstract
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Although the etiopathogenesis of IBD is largely unknown, it is widely thought that diet has a crucial role in the development and progression of IBD. Epidemiological and genetic association studies have identified a few promising dietary and genetic ...
Depressive symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of comparative studies
Abstract
Depression is common in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but the reported prevalence across different studies is inconsistent. This meta-analysis systematically examined the presence and severity of depressive symptoms in patients with IBS. Two investigators independently performed a literature search. The pooled depressive symptom severity was calculated using a ...
Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour
Abstract | Recent years have witnessed the rise of the gut microbiota as a major topic of research interest in biology. Studies are revealing how variations and changes in the composition of the gut microbiota influence normal physiology and contribute to diseases ranging from inflammation to obesity. Accumulating data now indicate that the gut microbiota also communicates with the CNS — possibly through ...
The aging gut microbiome and its impact on host immunity
Abstract
The microbiome plays a fundamental role in the maturation, function, and regulation of the host-immune system from birth to old age. In return, the immune system has co-evolved a mutualistic relationship with trillions of beneficial microbes residing our bodies while mounting efficient responses to fight invading pathogens. As we age, both the immune system and the gut microbiome undergo significant changes in composition and ...
