Using Bacteria To Program Your Brain

Researchers have found that the bugs in your gut can influence your brain’s responses. Working with germ-free rodents, they discovered the animals’ behavior changed when certain germs were introduced into their gut through their diet. Intrigued, other universities tested the effect of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) on people’s mood and found that the gut bacteria consumed by participants actually changed their mood. This was verified by brain scans, blood and urine tests for chemicals produced by the body that influenced mood and physiological responses.

Considering that microorganisms in our gut outnumber cells in our body ten to one, it is not surprising that the chemicals that they produced could travel to our brain and alter our brain function. In fact, our Central Nervous System (CNS) only produces five percent of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that influences mood, memory, learning, digestion, sleep and sexual desire activities. The remainder 95 percent is manufactured by gut bacteria. Communication and sharing of chemicals go both ways between our brain and microbes. The result is reflected through mood and behavior.

Besides brain chemistry, this invisible army of workers in our gut also influences inflammation and pain perception, the body responds to stress, modulates our immune system and even help ‘program’ some aspects of brain development through influencing neural development.

Bacteria-Brain Communication

While harmful bacteria (pathogens) can jack up anxiety and depression, the good bacteria (probiotics) calms you down and lift your mood. This is because bacteria in our gut and our brain are constantly sending messages to each other through a number of channels.

1. Our IMMUNE CELLS are like the police force, constantly patrolling our body for break-ins, invasion and attack by pathogens and foreign substances. This police force and the chemicals they synthesize are used as messengers.

2. Sometimes gut bacteria use the vagus nerve to communicate with the brain. Researchers in Ireland fed Lactobacillus to mice that resulted in behavior change. When they cut the vagus nerve (the neural conduit between gut and brain) in mice, the effect that Lactobacillus exerted earlier on brain biochemistry, stress response and behavior evaporated.

3. The third method of communication is through neurochemical. Gut bacteria and brain produce and respond to the same neurochemicals (neurotransmitters).

A joint Duh-British Pediatric Research published in Nature pointed out, “Accumulating evidence has suggested the importance of the gut microbiome in this bidirectional communication system and as a result, the concept of the microbiome-gut-brain axis has emerged.” [Manon J. N. L. Benders]

Research into this exciting new field is still preliminary. Scientists still have to ascertain which bacterial strains are absolutely vital to mental functioning, or whether a combination of bacteria in the right balance is needed to influence mental functioning.