From the beginning: What is the microbiota?
The microbiota o flora intestinalis he Name what the group receives of living microorganisms or bacteria what they lodge in it intestine. A microbiota balanced y different (both in its quantity and in its type of bacteria) results basic for a body healthy. If there were to be an alteration in them, we can get sick
And we can get so sick physics like mentally. Since our microbiota influences at our brain activityin our behaviour and in our emotions.
Of there is evidence from relationship enter here microbiota y some diseases as they are colon cancer o to diabetes. But it is also linked to pathologies such as autism o to depression.
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And now just publishedin two studies different, that changes in the gut microbiota are involved with the depression. “The conclusion is that in people with depression there is a change in the microbiota, which is compelling”, affirmed López-Goñi. Y it is forceful for him number of cases that have been studied.
Changes in the intestines alter brain function
“If you know thatfor example, many from those bacteria produce substances that can affect the brain”, maintained López-Goñi. And he adds: “intestinal bacteria produce hormoneslong-chain fatty acids, neurotransmitters, serotonin, etc… and all these substances, in different ways, can affect at brain functions”.
Therefore, if that microbiota it looks altered for some reason (from diet or lifestyle to infection or antibiotic use), the changes that occur in those bacteria “They will produce changes in the substances they make, and they will also affect brain function.” In this case We speak from changes in it brain what affect to mental health.
Along these lines, the psychobiologist Martin Monzon explained something similar: “inside y About us they live 10 to 100 trillion microorganismswith which we keep a symbiotic relationship. With such a number, it is not surprising that its existence affectsEven how we think, feel or get sick”.
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The microbiota: Cause or consequence of depression?
there is an important issue inside all this And López-Goñi warns: “we still don’t know if the depression is what causes the change on the microbiota or if it is upside down. What we do know is that there is a very clear relationship in between microbiota y depression, but we don’t know if it is cause or effect”. That is “the big unknown” that remains unresolved, in the words of the Navarrese.
figure it out is not easygiven that would require and very extensive follow-up in it weather a people without depression, to see if they develop it or not. But it is already valuable to know what exists A relationship between both. And that is already important, because open another key question: yes in depression there is an alteration of the microbiota, would there be some way to promote o to restore that equilibrium in the microorganisms of intestine, face to improve that one too depression?
Manipulate and sustain the microbiota
for now it is not known Yes there are a way to manipulate for good to microbiota, in case of want to improve some health complications. But what does seem clear is that A balanced microbiota “is essential for physical and mental health”. Therefore, the recommendation to keep it stable it’s a good diet.
A good diet, waiting for drugs and transplants
Both the microbiologist and the psychobiologist, they insist a lot on the importance of one good diet, whose link with mental health, not only physical, is becoming clearer. “The evidence suggests that the Mediterranean diet, could be an effective complementary treatment for pathologies such as depression, partly due to the way our microbiota changesincreasing the microbes what promote the Health”, explains Martin Monzon.
Still there are no drugs and transplants to address this issue. Therefore, eat well, it becomes essential.
“In recent studies it has been identified that some probioticslike the strains from Lactobacillus y Bifidobacterium, they can reduce gravity of the depressive symptoms when they are taken for several weeks”, according to the lawyer Monsoon.
“A microbiota diverse and numerous is a sign of good health, both physical and mental. And a balanced diet is what will generate it the most for you ”, López-Goñi closes at the end of his exposition.