Sometimes you just get that feeling…and you know that you’re right, you can feel it in your gut. Old wives tales and superstition aside, new evidence from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Genome Institute of Singapore suggests that there may in fact be solid science behind those good old fashioned ‘gut’ feelings and the way we think. This new research suggests a strong link between bacteria in the gut, brain development, neurology and the behavioural changes that result from this microflora’s presence.
Studies have previously shown that intestinal bacteria, or microflora, has a significant impact upon neurology, our stress response and behavioural disorders such as autism. The more bacteria in the gut, the less able we are to manage anxiety provoking situations. Recent research led by the Karolinska Institute’s Sven Pettersson examined the stress response of two sets of mice. The first set, did not have microflora in their intestines whereas the second group did. Pettersson’s team compared the two groups’ behaviour and brain chemistry during specific experiments measuring their ability to manage stressful situations. The group lacking the microflora were less anxious and more active in their environment than the group who had the bacteria in their intestines. The mice whose guts had been colonized by bacteria were less active, did not manage stressful situations effectively and did not explore light boxes placed within the research environment. There appeared to be a huge difference in the behaviour of the two groups and their ability to manage every day life events.
The next question for Pettersson was, do these bacteria affect brain development and if they do, could this be reversed? The researchers found that if adult mice who were raised free from microflora were then colonized by the bacteria, there was no effect on brain development, neurology, behaviour or stress response. When the mice were raised without bacteria and then colonized by microflora earlier in life, there was no effect on chemistry, brain development, behaviour or the ability to manage anxiety inducing situations. Pettersson concluded that there is a crucial developmental stage where bacterial colonization impacts upon neurology and behaviour.
The neurology of the gut remains in it’s infancy but there is evidence to suggest that colonization of the gut by bacteria in humans yields a similar response and may impact more severely on those diagnosed with autism and autoimmune diseases. It seems that there may really be something in your gut feeling after all…..
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