Nicola Johnstone

Human study maps region-specific links between gut microbes and brain chemistry

A cross-sectional study of 61 healthy young women found that the gut microbiome’s genetic capacity for certain metabolic pathways was associated with GABA, glutamate and excitatory/inhibitory balance in distinct brain regions. The findings also linked some microbial pathways with anxiety, depressive symptoms and sleep quality, but did not establish cause and effect.