Journal of Food Bioactives, ISSN 2637-8752 print, 2637-8779 online
Journal website www.isnff-jfb.com

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Volume 9, March 2020, pages 4-9


Is there a role of gut microbiota in mental health?

Table

Table 1. Gut microbiota and mental health
 
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