Researchers Find Gut Microbiota and Mental Health Connection
Groundbreaking new studies are revealing the connection between gut health and mental health.
Researchers have known about the connection between the bacteria that live in your gut and the brain for some time, but when it comes to how closely they’re connected science has just scratched the surface. Now in a systematic analysis published in the journal Clinical Psychology Review researchers looked at 26 studies that assessed the role gut biology plays in anxiety and depression.
The findings showed people with anxiety and depression had different levels and types of microbes in their gut, compared to people without anxiety and depression. The digestive tract of people with anxiety and depression contained more pro-inflammatory bacteria species and had less of the type of bacteria that help regulate the central nervous system.
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Biorhythm Research is Creating New Paradigm in Women's Health
Following decades of being excluded from clinical studies, women today are suffering dire consequences. Can new research finally reverse the misunderstandings and help women harness the power of their unique biology?
Kayla Osterhoff is a neuropsychophysiologist studying the mind-body connection, with a focus on women’s health.
“Well most people are probably not aware of this, but women actually represent the largest gap in health science research that exists today,” Osterhoff said. “This is perpetuated by a problem that actually manifested back in 1977 when the FDA formally banned all women of child-bearing potential from all clinical research. That ban remained in effect until 1993, and to this day, the damage has been done and women are still left out of the clinical research.”
“The reason why women are left out of the clinical research is that women are biologically complex, meaning that they are biologically, biochemically, and physiologically shifting constantly because of our female hormone cycle that drives our physiology. The other reason is that women are risky research subjects, meaning that they can become pregnant at any time during the study. So, while it is understandable from an ethical standpoint, it cannot remain in effect because women are really being disempowered by this gap,” she said.
The repercussions of this scientific gap have been profound and were highlighted in a recent study.
