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Source: http://naturalsociety.com/internal-bacteria-may-alter-brain-chemistry/
Internal Bacteria May Alter Brain Chemistry
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The role of gut bacteria in the body may extend beyond the stomach and intestines all the way to the brain, a new study in mice suggests.
The results show disrupting the normal gut flora of the mice leads to changes in the animals’ behavior, making them less timid and more adventurous, as well as leading to changes in their brain chemistry.
Although it’s not clear if the same thing happens in humans, the findings may explain why some gastrointestinal diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, are often associated with disorders that can affect behavior, including depression and anxiety.
“It may be that those changes in gut bacteria not only contribute to the generation of gut symptoms, like diarrhea or pain, but may also contribute to this altered behavior that we see in those patients,” said researcher Stephen Collins, of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
The study is published online in the journal Gastroenterology.
Bacteria and behavior
Previous studies have suggested gut bacteria may communicate with the brain. For instance, some people with liver disease experience changes in mental abilities that improve after they are given antibiotics. Other studies have shown mice that don’t have gut bacteria respond differently to stress compared with those that do.
To further investigate the link, Collins and his colleagues first gave healthy mice antibiotics to disturb their natural gut bacteria. The mice became less anxious — they were less hesitant to step off a platform and more eager to explore. When their gut bacteria was restored to normal, so was their behavior. Control mice that were given water instead of antibiotics showed no changes in behavior. Mice that didn’t have any gut bacteria also showed no changes in behavior when they received antibiotics.
Disrupting the contents of the gut also appears to affect brain chemistry. Mice given antibiotics had an increased amount of a brain protein called derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, in their brains compared to control mice. Changes in the levels of BDNF have been previously linked to depression and anxiety.
Next, the researchers carried out some gut bacteria swapping of sorts. Different strains of mice are known to exhibit different behavior patterns. Some are more anxious while others are aggressive and hyperactive. The researchers took mice from both extremes and exchanged their gut bacteria. They saw the behavior flipped as well — the anxious mice became more active and daring and the aggressive mice became more passive.
Probiotics for the brain
The researchers suspect the bacteria are producing chemicals that can access and influence the brain, Collins said.
If gut bacteria play some role in human behavior as well, it’s possible therapies that aim to restore normal gut flora, such as probiotics, may be helpful in correcting behavior and mood changes in those with gastrointestinal diseases, Collins said.
Collins and his colleagues are now studying the gut bacteria composition of patients with gastrointestinal disorders. They want to see whether the content differs among those who have symptoms of depression and anxiety compared with those who do not.
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WARNING FROM RAEL: For those who don't use their intelligence at its full capacity, the label "selected by RAEL" on some articles does not mean that I agree with their content or support it. "Selected by RAEL" means that I believe it is important for the people of this planet to know about what people think or do, even when what they think or do is completely stupid and against our philosophy. When I selected articles in the past about stupid Christian fundamentalists in America praying for rain, I am sure no Rael-Science reader was stupid enough to believe that I was supporting praying to change the weather. So, when I select articles which are in favor of drugs, anti-semitic, anti-Jewish, racist, revisionist, or inciting hatred against any group or religion, or any other stupid article, it does not mean that I support them. It just means that it is important for all human beings to know about them. Common sense, which is usually very good among our readers, is good enough to understand that. When, like in the recent articles on drug decriminalization, it is necessary to make it clearer, I add a comment, which in this case was very clear: I support decriminalizing all drugs, as it is stupid to throw depressed and sad people (as only depressed and sad people use drugs) in prison and ruin their life with a criminal record. That does not mean that there is any change to the Message which says clearly that we must not use any drug except for medical purposes. The same applies to the freedom of expression which must be absolute. That does not mean again of course that I agree with anti-Jews, antisemites, racists of any kind or anti-Raelians. But by knowing your enemies or the enemies of your values, you are better equipped to fight them. With love and respect of course, and with the wonderful sentence of the French philosopher Voltaire in mind: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
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"Ethics" is simply a last-gasp attempt by deist conservatives and
orthodox dogmatics to keep humanity in ignorance and obscurantism,
through the well tried fermentation of fear, the fear of science and
new technologies.
There is nothing glorious about what our ancestors call history,
it is simply a succession of mistakes, intolerances and violations.
On the contrary, let us embrace Science and the new technologies
unfettered, for it is these which will liberate mankind from the
myth of god, and free us from our age old fears, from disease,
death and the sweat of labour.
Rael
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