#gut-brainaxis — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #gut-brainaxis, aggregated by home.social.
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Gut microbial metabolites may shape vulnerability to stress-related mental disorders | News Medical
20 July 2026
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260720/Gut-microbial-metabolites-may-shape-vulnerability-to-stress-related-mental-disorders.aspx -
Gut microbial metabolites may shape vulnerability to stress-related mental disorders | News Medical
20 July 2026
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260720/Gut-microbial-metabolites-may-shape-vulnerability-to-stress-related-mental-disorders.aspx -
DATE: July 24, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: The skin-brain axis: New research highlights the link between mental well-being and skin health
A recent study published in the Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology suggests that there is a notable connection between mental health struggles and the negative impact of skin conditions on daily life. The research provides evidence that higher levels of stress and depression tend to be linked to greater anxiety, particularly among women, who report a heavier burden of both psychological and skin-related symptoms. The findings highlight the complex ways in which the mind and the skin interact, even though the potential benefits of probiotics remain uncertain due to low consumption rates among participants.
Mental health and skin health are deeply connected through a system known as the gut-skin-brain axis. This term refers to a complex, two-way communication network linking the digestive tract, the skin, and the central nervous system. Psychological stress can trigger biological responses in the brain that increase the release of stress hormones like cortisol. High levels of cortisol can impair the skin’s protective barrier and worsen inflammatory skin conditions like acne, eczema, or psoriasis.
At the same time, living with a visible and uncomfortable skin disorder can lead to increased feelings of anxiety and depression. Diet is thought to play a major role in this network by influencing the balance of bacteria in the digestive system. A healthy gut microbiome helps regulate inflammation and immune responses throughout the entire body. Poor diets can disrupt this microbial balance, potentially increasing vulnerability to both mental health issues and skin flare-ups.
Probiotics are live microorganisms found in certain fermented foods and supplements that can provide health benefits by supporting this internal microbial balance. The authors wanted to explore how habitual probiotic consumption might relate to mental well-being and the quality of life associated with skin conditions. Previous research has largely focused on how probiotics affect the gut, but less is known about their broader effects on the skin and brain in a general population.
“The relationship between mental health and skin diseases has become increasingly recognized, but the role of diet, particularly probiotics, in this interaction is still poorly understood,” said study author Débora Fernandes Pinheiro, a professor of biomedicine, pharmacy, and nutrition at Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe in Brazil.
Pinheiro, who is also a researcher at the Multidisciplinary Study Group in Biomedical Sciences, noted the need for more localized data. “One aspect we consider particularly important is that our study was conducted in Brazil, where research on the skin-gut-brain axis remains limited,” she explained. “We wanted to investigate whether habitual probiotic consumption was associated with mental health and dermatology-related quality of life in a Brazilian population, while contributing to the growing understanding of the skin-gut-brain axis.”
The researchers recruited 305 adult participants from Brazil for an online survey. The sample consisted primarily of women, who made up about 72 percent of the group, and the average age of the participants was roughly 28 years. The scientists used a combination of social media invitations and printed flyers with QR codes placed in dermatology and psychology clinics to gather responses. The participants provided basic demographic information, including their height and weight, which allowed the authors to calculate Body Mass Index, or BMI.
About half of the sample was classified as having a normal weight, while the other half fell into overweight or obese categories. Participants completed a series of specialized questionnaires to assess different aspects of their physical and mental health. To measure mental health, the researchers used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, a 21-item test that categorizes the severity of these emotional states. The participants also filled out a validated Brazilian version of the Dermatology Life Quality Index, a questionnaire that asks how much skin problems interfere with daily activities, interpersonal relationships, and work.
Finally, the survey included a dietary section to track how often people consumed probiotic foods, such as kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, curd, and miso, as well as commercial probiotic supplements. The data showed that a large portion of the participants struggled with psychological symptoms. For instance, nearly 24 percent of the sample reported extremely severe anxiety, and 17 percent reported extremely severe depression. Women exhibited significantly higher scores for anxiety, depression, and stress compared to men.
The authors noted that these gender differences were quite consistent, with women also reporting a greater negative impact from skin conditions on their quality of life. This suggests that women might experience a heavier burden of both emotional and dermatological distress. When looking at how the different variables interacted, the scientists found strong positive correlations among the mental health outcomes. This means that individuals who reported high levels of stress also tended to experience high levels of depression and anxiety.
A statistical analysis designed to predict anxiety scores revealed that stress and depression were the only independent predictors of anxiety in this group. Variables like body weight, age, and gender did not significantly change or predict these mental health outcomes in the final statistical model. The researchers also looked at the relationship between skin health and mental well-being. They found that the dermatology-related quality of life scores had a weak but significant correlation with the scores for anxiety, depression, and stress.
“Our study reinforces that mental health and skin health are closely connected,” Pinheiro said. “People experiencing anxiety, depression, or chronic stress may also experience a greater impact of skin conditions on their quality of life.”
Regarding the dietary aspect of the study, the associations between probiotic intake and health outcomes were inconclusive. Only 19 percent of the sample reported consuming probiotics on a weekly basis, with kefir and kombucha being the most common choices. Because this regular intake was so uncommon among the participants, the statistical tests did not show any meaningful link between eating probiotics and having better mental or skin health.
“We initially expected to observe an association between probiotic consumption and improved mental health or dermatological quality of life, based on previous research suggesting that the gut microbiota may influence the skin-brain axis,” Pinheiro said. “Instead, the associations were not statistically significant.”
“Although this was unexpected, we believe these findings are valuable because they highlight the complexity of this biological system and the importance of studying probiotic exposure more rigorously in future research,” Pinheiro added. “We did not find evidence that regular probiotic consumption was associated with better mental health or skin-related quality of life in our sample. This does not necessarily mean probiotics are ineffective; rather, most participants reported very low probiotic intake, making it difficult to detect any potential benefits.”
It is important to interpret these findings with a few limitations in mind. Because the study relied on an online survey and voluntary participation, the sample might not accurately represent the general population. People who are already interested in health or experiencing skin and mental health issues might have been more likely to volunteer for the survey. This type of self-selection can skew the data and limit how broadly the conclusions can be applied to other groups.
The cross-sectional design of the research also prevents the authors from establishing cause and effect. The data only capture a single moment in time, meaning it is impossible to know if skin conditions caused the mental health issues or if psychological distress worsened the skin problems. The correlations provide evidence that these conditions are linked, but the exact biological mechanisms remain unconfirmed.
The low rate of probiotic consumption among the participants is another notable limitation. Pinheiro cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the benefits of probiotics based solely on this survey.
“The most important point is that our findings should not be interpreted as evidence that probiotics do not work,” Pinheiro explained. “Our study was observational and reflected participants’ usual dietary habits. Since probiotic consumption was relatively uncommon and self-reported, we were evaluating naturally occurring intake rather than a controlled probiotic intervention.”
Future research would benefit from using controlled clinical trials where participants are randomly assigned to take specific doses of probiotics over a longer period. “Randomized clinical trials with standardized probiotic doses are still needed to determine whether probiotics can influence the skin-gut-brain axis,” Pinheiro noted.
Incorporating biological tests, such as measuring stress hormones or inflammation markers in the blood, could provide physical evidence of how these systems interact. Expanding dietary assessments to include more detailed tracking of food intake could also help better understand the role of nutrition in maintaining mental and dermatological health.
“Our next step is to conduct intervention studies evaluating specific probiotic strains, longer supplementation periods, and biological markers such as inflammatory cytokines, cortisol, and gut microbiome composition,” Pinheiro said. “We hope this research will help clarify the mechanisms linking nutrition, mental health, and dermatological health.”
She hopes that expanding on this work will eventually provide a better understanding of human health overall. “We hope our findings encourage further investigations in different populations and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how lifestyle, nutrition, and mental health interact,” Pinheiro added.
The study, “Exploring the bidirectional skin-brain axis: Mental health, dermatology-related quality of life, and the role of probiotics,” was authored by Polyanna de Mello, Débora Fernandes Pinheiro, Emilaine Ferreira dos Santos, Daniele Gonçalves Vieira, Karolyne Kruger Carvalho Eing, and Vania Schmitt.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #skinbrainaxis #mentalhealth #dermatology #probiotics #gutbrainaxis #skincarepsychology #stressandskin #dermatologyqualityoflife #Brazilianstudy #wellnessnutrition
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DATE: July 24, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: The skin-brain axis: New research highlights the link between mental well-being and skin health
A recent study published in the Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology suggests that there is a notable connection between mental health struggles and the negative impact of skin conditions on daily life. The research provides evidence that higher levels of stress and depression tend to be linked to greater anxiety, particularly among women, who report a heavier burden of both psychological and skin-related symptoms. The findings highlight the complex ways in which the mind and the skin interact, even though the potential benefits of probiotics remain uncertain due to low consumption rates among participants.
Mental health and skin health are deeply connected through a system known as the gut-skin-brain axis. This term refers to a complex, two-way communication network linking the digestive tract, the skin, and the central nervous system. Psychological stress can trigger biological responses in the brain that increase the release of stress hormones like cortisol. High levels of cortisol can impair the skin’s protective barrier and worsen inflammatory skin conditions like acne, eczema, or psoriasis.
At the same time, living with a visible and uncomfortable skin disorder can lead to increased feelings of anxiety and depression. Diet is thought to play a major role in this network by influencing the balance of bacteria in the digestive system. A healthy gut microbiome helps regulate inflammation and immune responses throughout the entire body. Poor diets can disrupt this microbial balance, potentially increasing vulnerability to both mental health issues and skin flare-ups.
Probiotics are live microorganisms found in certain fermented foods and supplements that can provide health benefits by supporting this internal microbial balance. The authors wanted to explore how habitual probiotic consumption might relate to mental well-being and the quality of life associated with skin conditions. Previous research has largely focused on how probiotics affect the gut, but less is known about their broader effects on the skin and brain in a general population.
“The relationship between mental health and skin diseases has become increasingly recognized, but the role of diet, particularly probiotics, in this interaction is still poorly understood,” said study author Débora Fernandes Pinheiro, a professor of biomedicine, pharmacy, and nutrition at Universidade Alto Vale do Rio do Peixe in Brazil.
Pinheiro, who is also a researcher at the Multidisciplinary Study Group in Biomedical Sciences, noted the need for more localized data. “One aspect we consider particularly important is that our study was conducted in Brazil, where research on the skin-gut-brain axis remains limited,” she explained. “We wanted to investigate whether habitual probiotic consumption was associated with mental health and dermatology-related quality of life in a Brazilian population, while contributing to the growing understanding of the skin-gut-brain axis.”
The researchers recruited 305 adult participants from Brazil for an online survey. The sample consisted primarily of women, who made up about 72 percent of the group, and the average age of the participants was roughly 28 years. The scientists used a combination of social media invitations and printed flyers with QR codes placed in dermatology and psychology clinics to gather responses. The participants provided basic demographic information, including their height and weight, which allowed the authors to calculate Body Mass Index, or BMI.
About half of the sample was classified as having a normal weight, while the other half fell into overweight or obese categories. Participants completed a series of specialized questionnaires to assess different aspects of their physical and mental health. To measure mental health, the researchers used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, a 21-item test that categorizes the severity of these emotional states. The participants also filled out a validated Brazilian version of the Dermatology Life Quality Index, a questionnaire that asks how much skin problems interfere with daily activities, interpersonal relationships, and work.
Finally, the survey included a dietary section to track how often people consumed probiotic foods, such as kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, curd, and miso, as well as commercial probiotic supplements. The data showed that a large portion of the participants struggled with psychological symptoms. For instance, nearly 24 percent of the sample reported extremely severe anxiety, and 17 percent reported extremely severe depression. Women exhibited significantly higher scores for anxiety, depression, and stress compared to men.
The authors noted that these gender differences were quite consistent, with women also reporting a greater negative impact from skin conditions on their quality of life. This suggests that women might experience a heavier burden of both emotional and dermatological distress. When looking at how the different variables interacted, the scientists found strong positive correlations among the mental health outcomes. This means that individuals who reported high levels of stress also tended to experience high levels of depression and anxiety.
A statistical analysis designed to predict anxiety scores revealed that stress and depression were the only independent predictors of anxiety in this group. Variables like body weight, age, and gender did not significantly change or predict these mental health outcomes in the final statistical model. The researchers also looked at the relationship between skin health and mental well-being. They found that the dermatology-related quality of life scores had a weak but significant correlation with the scores for anxiety, depression, and stress.
“Our study reinforces that mental health and skin health are closely connected,” Pinheiro said. “People experiencing anxiety, depression, or chronic stress may also experience a greater impact of skin conditions on their quality of life.”
Regarding the dietary aspect of the study, the associations between probiotic intake and health outcomes were inconclusive. Only 19 percent of the sample reported consuming probiotics on a weekly basis, with kefir and kombucha being the most common choices. Because this regular intake was so uncommon among the participants, the statistical tests did not show any meaningful link between eating probiotics and having better mental or skin health.
“We initially expected to observe an association between probiotic consumption and improved mental health or dermatological quality of life, based on previous research suggesting that the gut microbiota may influence the skin-brain axis,” Pinheiro said. “Instead, the associations were not statistically significant.”
“Although this was unexpected, we believe these findings are valuable because they highlight the complexity of this biological system and the importance of studying probiotic exposure more rigorously in future research,” Pinheiro added. “We did not find evidence that regular probiotic consumption was associated with better mental health or skin-related quality of life in our sample. This does not necessarily mean probiotics are ineffective; rather, most participants reported very low probiotic intake, making it difficult to detect any potential benefits.”
It is important to interpret these findings with a few limitations in mind. Because the study relied on an online survey and voluntary participation, the sample might not accurately represent the general population. People who are already interested in health or experiencing skin and mental health issues might have been more likely to volunteer for the survey. This type of self-selection can skew the data and limit how broadly the conclusions can be applied to other groups.
The cross-sectional design of the research also prevents the authors from establishing cause and effect. The data only capture a single moment in time, meaning it is impossible to know if skin conditions caused the mental health issues or if psychological distress worsened the skin problems. The correlations provide evidence that these conditions are linked, but the exact biological mechanisms remain unconfirmed.
The low rate of probiotic consumption among the participants is another notable limitation. Pinheiro cautioned against jumping to conclusions about the benefits of probiotics based solely on this survey.
“The most important point is that our findings should not be interpreted as evidence that probiotics do not work,” Pinheiro explained. “Our study was observational and reflected participants’ usual dietary habits. Since probiotic consumption was relatively uncommon and self-reported, we were evaluating naturally occurring intake rather than a controlled probiotic intervention.”
Future research would benefit from using controlled clinical trials where participants are randomly assigned to take specific doses of probiotics over a longer period. “Randomized clinical trials with standardized probiotic doses are still needed to determine whether probiotics can influence the skin-gut-brain axis,” Pinheiro noted.
Incorporating biological tests, such as measuring stress hormones or inflammation markers in the blood, could provide physical evidence of how these systems interact. Expanding dietary assessments to include more detailed tracking of food intake could also help better understand the role of nutrition in maintaining mental and dermatological health.
“Our next step is to conduct intervention studies evaluating specific probiotic strains, longer supplementation periods, and biological markers such as inflammatory cytokines, cortisol, and gut microbiome composition,” Pinheiro said. “We hope this research will help clarify the mechanisms linking nutrition, mental health, and dermatological health.”
She hopes that expanding on this work will eventually provide a better understanding of human health overall. “We hope our findings encourage further investigations in different populations and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how lifestyle, nutrition, and mental health interact,” Pinheiro added.
The study, “Exploring the bidirectional skin-brain axis: Mental health, dermatology-related quality of life, and the role of probiotics,” was authored by Polyanna de Mello, Débora Fernandes Pinheiro, Emilaine Ferreira dos Santos, Daniele Gonçalves Vieira, Karolyne Kruger Carvalho Eing, and Vania Schmitt.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #skinbrainaxis #mentalhealth #dermatology #probiotics #gutbrainaxis #skincarepsychology #stressandskin #dermatologyqualityoflife #Brazilianstudy #wellnessnutrition
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Microbiota alterations leading to amino acid deficiency contribute to depression in children and adolescents [2025]
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12087099/"Our findings highlight that gut microbiota alterations contribute to AAs deficiency, particularly lysine, which plays a crucial role in MDD pathogenesis in children and adolescents. "
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Microbiota alterations leading to amino acid deficiency contribute to depression in children and adolescents [2025]
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12087099/"Our findings highlight that gut microbiota alterations contribute to AAs deficiency, particularly lysine, which plays a crucial role in MDD pathogenesis in children and adolescents. "
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DATE: July 6, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Aging gut bacteria numb the vagus nerve and drive memory loss in mice
URL: https://www.psypost.org/aging-gut-bacteria-numb-the-vagus-nerve-and-drive-memory-loss-in-mice/
As the body ages, changes in the bacteria living inside the digestive system can lead to a weakened sensory connection between the gut and the brain, which contributes to memory loss. By restoring normal communication along this physiological pathway in mice, researchers were able to reverse age-related cognitive decline and restore memory function. The results of the experiments were published in the journal Nature.
Cognitive decline is one of the most common and challenging aspects of growing older. As human life expectancy increases, memory disorders have become a pressing issue for global health. While traditional research historically focuses on problems occurring directly inside the brain, attention has recently shifted to signals originating outside the central nervous system.
The digestive tract hosts an incredibly diverse ecosystem of bacteria and other microorganisms. This community of microbes produces various biological chemicals that naturally enter the bloodstream or interact with surrounding tissues. The brain constantly monitors the internal physical state of the body through an ability known as interoception.
This internal sensory information travels from the digestive tract up to the central nervous system along the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve acts as a major communication highway connecting the organs in the abdomen to the base of the brain. When we eat, for example, the vagus nerve tells the brain about the nutrients arriving in the gut.
Timothy O. Cox, a microbiome researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, led the investigation alongside colleagues from Stanford University and the Arc Institute. The researchers wanted to understand exactly how changes in gut bacteria over a lifetime influence memory decline. They suspected that an altered microbial environment might disrupt the sensory signals traveling up the vagus nerve in older animals.
To separate the age of the animals from the age of their microbiomes, the researchers transferred gut bacteria from older mice into younger mice. They accomplished this by housing young and old animals together. Because mice naturally consume feces found in their environment, living together leads to a rapid exchange of gut microbes.
After one month of living with aged mice, the young mice experienced noticeable declines in short term memory. The researchers tested memory using a standard object recognition task. In this test, mice are allowed to explore a set of objects, and later, one familiar object is replaced with a novel item. Mice naturally prefer to explore new things.
The young mice exposed to aged gut bacteria behaved like much older animals. They forgot which objects they had already investigated and spent less time exploring newly introduced items. The research team confirmed these results through several orthogonal experiments.
In addition to the object recognition test, the researchers utilized a spatial learning test called the Barnes maze. In this setup, mice must use visual cues in the room to find a hidden escape hole on a brightly lit platform. Young mice exposed to the older microbiome struggled to remember the location of the escape hole over multiple days of testing.
The researchers also gathered fecal matter from old mice and transplanted it into young mice that had been raised in completely sterile environments. These mice had no preexisting bacteria of their own to interfere with the chemical signals in the gut. These young recipients developed immediate memory impairments, matching the outcomes of the co-housing experiment.
Conversely, treating the older animals with broad spectrum antibiotics to eliminate their aged bacteria reversed their memory loss. This suggested that something the aging bacteria produced was actively harming the cognitive abilities of the animals. Next, the researchers set out to identify the specific microbes responsible for these changes.
By sequencing the genetic material in the mouse feces over the course of their lifespans, the team isolated one particular species called Parabacteroides goldsteinii. This bacterium became much more abundant as the mice grew older. When the researchers introduced this specific bacterium into young animals, the mice immediately showed memory deficits.
The team then analyzed the chemical byproducts created by this bacteria in the laboratory. They found that it generated high levels of specific fat molecules known as medium-chain fatty acids. Feeding these fatty acids directly to young mice caused the exact same memory problems seen in the older animals.
The researchers mapped how these fat molecules alter the sensory connection to the brain. Because fatty acids are absorbed into the tissue surrounding the intestines, they come into contact with the local immune system. The fatty acids triggered a specific receptor on the surface of white blood cells located in the gut tissue.
The white blood cells involved in this process are primarily macrophages, which normally act as a cleanup crew for the immune system. When these peripheral macrophages detected the fatty acids, they released inflammatory molecules. This localized inflammation essentially numbed the sensory endings of the vagus nerve.
The researchers proved this theory by measuring calcium signaling in the nerve cells, which showed that the vagus nerve simply stopped firing as vigorously. With the vagus nerve functioning poorly, the brain received weaker internal sensory signals. This lack of sensory input had a direct impact on the hippocampus, a brain region dedicated to learning and memory formation.
Without regular stimulation from the vagus nerve, the cells in the hippocampus failed to activate properly when the mice encountered a new object. To solidify the role of the vagus nerve, the researchers temporarily turned off the nerve using specialized genetic engineering techniques. When they deactivated the sensory neurons connecting the gut to the brain in healthy young mice, the animals developed the same memory issues as the older mice.
The team tested several independent ways to repair this broken communication pathway. The researchers used a specialized diet that temporarily depleted the macrophages from the bodies of the mice. Without the immune cells present to start the inflammatory process, the young mice maintained their normal memory function even after being fed the fatty acids.
They also bred mice that lacked the fatty acid receptors on their immune cells. These genetically modified mice were completely protected from the memory loss. Separately, the researchers found that neutralizing the inflammatory immune molecules with targeted antibodies restored normal brain function.
The researchers then tried using a specialized virus to target and attack the problematic bacteria directly. Administering this bacteria-killing virus reduced the production of the fatty acids and rescued the memories of aged mice. Finally, the researchers bypassed the gut inflammation entirely by artificially stimulating the vagus nerve.
They injected the mice with low doses of capsaicin, a compound found in chili peppers that directly activates peripheral sensory nerves. They also used synthetic gut hormones to stimulate the nerve endings. Activating the vagus nerve in this manner restored normal firing patterns in the hippocampus, allowing the older mice to form new memories.
While the study provides a detailed map of how gut signals affect memory, the experiments were conducted entirely in mouse models. The researchers point out that it remains unknown if the exact same bacterial species and fatty acids drive cognitive decline in older humans. The immune system and the microbiome of humans often behave differently than those of laboratory rodents.
The precise biological pathway that connects the input at the brainstem to the cellular activity in the hippocampus also requires more detailed mapping. There are multiple relay steps in the brain before a signal from the gut reaches the memory centers. Researchers still need to understand exactly how a steady decrease in sensory signaling leads to an overall inability to encode new memories.
Looking ahead, the researchers hope to explore whether specific drugs can mimic these internal sensory signals in humans. They refer to these hypothetical drugs as interoceptomimetics, which would artificially substitute the lost signals from the stomach. Treatments that stimulate the vagus nerve or reduce localized gut inflammation might offer a new avenue to protect brain health.
The study, “Intestinal interoceptive dysfunction drives age-associated cognitive decline,” was authored by Timothy O. Cox, Ashwarya S. Devason, Alan de Araujo, Sydney Mason, Madhav Subramanian, Andrea F. M. Salvador, Hélène C. Descamps, Junwon Kim, Yixuan Zhu, Lev Litichevskiy, Sunhee Jung, Won-Suk Song, Adrián Cortés-Martín, Nathan T. Henderson, Kuei-Pin Huang, Thao Nguyen, Wisath Sae-Lee, Iboro C. Umana, Maria Sacta, Ryan J. Rahman, Stephen Wisser, J. Andrew D. Nelson, Ilona Golynker, Alana M. McSween, Eric F. Hohmann, Shaan Patel, Anna L. Bub, Clara Soekler, Niklas Blank, Kevt’her Hoxha, Lavinia Boccia, Andrea C. Wong, Klaas Bahnsen, Jihee Kim, Natalie Biderman, Dina Abbasian, Clarissa Shoffler, Christopher Petucci, Fiona E. McAllister, Amber L. Alhadeff, Marc V. Fuccillo, Colin Hill, Cholsoon Jang, J. Nicholas Betley, Guillaume de Lartigue, Virginia Y.-M. Lee, Maayan Levy, and Christoph A. Thaiss.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/aging-gut-bacteria-numb-the-vagus-nerve-and-drive-memory-loss-in-mice/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AgingGutMicrobiome #VagusNerve #MemoryLoss #GutBrainAxis #ParabacteroidesGoldsteinii #MediumChainFattyAcids #GutInflammation #HippocampusHealth #Interoception #Neuroinflammation
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DATE: July 6, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Aging gut bacteria numb the vagus nerve and drive memory loss in mice
URL: https://www.psypost.org/aging-gut-bacteria-numb-the-vagus-nerve-and-drive-memory-loss-in-mice/
As the body ages, changes in the bacteria living inside the digestive system can lead to a weakened sensory connection between the gut and the brain, which contributes to memory loss. By restoring normal communication along this physiological pathway in mice, researchers were able to reverse age-related cognitive decline and restore memory function. The results of the experiments were published in the journal Nature.
Cognitive decline is one of the most common and challenging aspects of growing older. As human life expectancy increases, memory disorders have become a pressing issue for global health. While traditional research historically focuses on problems occurring directly inside the brain, attention has recently shifted to signals originating outside the central nervous system.
The digestive tract hosts an incredibly diverse ecosystem of bacteria and other microorganisms. This community of microbes produces various biological chemicals that naturally enter the bloodstream or interact with surrounding tissues. The brain constantly monitors the internal physical state of the body through an ability known as interoception.
This internal sensory information travels from the digestive tract up to the central nervous system along the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve acts as a major communication highway connecting the organs in the abdomen to the base of the brain. When we eat, for example, the vagus nerve tells the brain about the nutrients arriving in the gut.
Timothy O. Cox, a microbiome researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, led the investigation alongside colleagues from Stanford University and the Arc Institute. The researchers wanted to understand exactly how changes in gut bacteria over a lifetime influence memory decline. They suspected that an altered microbial environment might disrupt the sensory signals traveling up the vagus nerve in older animals.
To separate the age of the animals from the age of their microbiomes, the researchers transferred gut bacteria from older mice into younger mice. They accomplished this by housing young and old animals together. Because mice naturally consume feces found in their environment, living together leads to a rapid exchange of gut microbes.
After one month of living with aged mice, the young mice experienced noticeable declines in short term memory. The researchers tested memory using a standard object recognition task. In this test, mice are allowed to explore a set of objects, and later, one familiar object is replaced with a novel item. Mice naturally prefer to explore new things.
The young mice exposed to aged gut bacteria behaved like much older animals. They forgot which objects they had already investigated and spent less time exploring newly introduced items. The research team confirmed these results through several orthogonal experiments.
In addition to the object recognition test, the researchers utilized a spatial learning test called the Barnes maze. In this setup, mice must use visual cues in the room to find a hidden escape hole on a brightly lit platform. Young mice exposed to the older microbiome struggled to remember the location of the escape hole over multiple days of testing.
The researchers also gathered fecal matter from old mice and transplanted it into young mice that had been raised in completely sterile environments. These mice had no preexisting bacteria of their own to interfere with the chemical signals in the gut. These young recipients developed immediate memory impairments, matching the outcomes of the co-housing experiment.
Conversely, treating the older animals with broad spectrum antibiotics to eliminate their aged bacteria reversed their memory loss. This suggested that something the aging bacteria produced was actively harming the cognitive abilities of the animals. Next, the researchers set out to identify the specific microbes responsible for these changes.
By sequencing the genetic material in the mouse feces over the course of their lifespans, the team isolated one particular species called Parabacteroides goldsteinii. This bacterium became much more abundant as the mice grew older. When the researchers introduced this specific bacterium into young animals, the mice immediately showed memory deficits.
The team then analyzed the chemical byproducts created by this bacteria in the laboratory. They found that it generated high levels of specific fat molecules known as medium-chain fatty acids. Feeding these fatty acids directly to young mice caused the exact same memory problems seen in the older animals.
The researchers mapped how these fat molecules alter the sensory connection to the brain. Because fatty acids are absorbed into the tissue surrounding the intestines, they come into contact with the local immune system. The fatty acids triggered a specific receptor on the surface of white blood cells located in the gut tissue.
The white blood cells involved in this process are primarily macrophages, which normally act as a cleanup crew for the immune system. When these peripheral macrophages detected the fatty acids, they released inflammatory molecules. This localized inflammation essentially numbed the sensory endings of the vagus nerve.
The researchers proved this theory by measuring calcium signaling in the nerve cells, which showed that the vagus nerve simply stopped firing as vigorously. With the vagus nerve functioning poorly, the brain received weaker internal sensory signals. This lack of sensory input had a direct impact on the hippocampus, a brain region dedicated to learning and memory formation.
Without regular stimulation from the vagus nerve, the cells in the hippocampus failed to activate properly when the mice encountered a new object. To solidify the role of the vagus nerve, the researchers temporarily turned off the nerve using specialized genetic engineering techniques. When they deactivated the sensory neurons connecting the gut to the brain in healthy young mice, the animals developed the same memory issues as the older mice.
The team tested several independent ways to repair this broken communication pathway. The researchers used a specialized diet that temporarily depleted the macrophages from the bodies of the mice. Without the immune cells present to start the inflammatory process, the young mice maintained their normal memory function even after being fed the fatty acids.
They also bred mice that lacked the fatty acid receptors on their immune cells. These genetically modified mice were completely protected from the memory loss. Separately, the researchers found that neutralizing the inflammatory immune molecules with targeted antibodies restored normal brain function.
The researchers then tried using a specialized virus to target and attack the problematic bacteria directly. Administering this bacteria-killing virus reduced the production of the fatty acids and rescued the memories of aged mice. Finally, the researchers bypassed the gut inflammation entirely by artificially stimulating the vagus nerve.
They injected the mice with low doses of capsaicin, a compound found in chili peppers that directly activates peripheral sensory nerves. They also used synthetic gut hormones to stimulate the nerve endings. Activating the vagus nerve in this manner restored normal firing patterns in the hippocampus, allowing the older mice to form new memories.
While the study provides a detailed map of how gut signals affect memory, the experiments were conducted entirely in mouse models. The researchers point out that it remains unknown if the exact same bacterial species and fatty acids drive cognitive decline in older humans. The immune system and the microbiome of humans often behave differently than those of laboratory rodents.
The precise biological pathway that connects the input at the brainstem to the cellular activity in the hippocampus also requires more detailed mapping. There are multiple relay steps in the brain before a signal from the gut reaches the memory centers. Researchers still need to understand exactly how a steady decrease in sensory signaling leads to an overall inability to encode new memories.
Looking ahead, the researchers hope to explore whether specific drugs can mimic these internal sensory signals in humans. They refer to these hypothetical drugs as interoceptomimetics, which would artificially substitute the lost signals from the stomach. Treatments that stimulate the vagus nerve or reduce localized gut inflammation might offer a new avenue to protect brain health.
The study, “Intestinal interoceptive dysfunction drives age-associated cognitive decline,” was authored by Timothy O. Cox, Ashwarya S. Devason, Alan de Araujo, Sydney Mason, Madhav Subramanian, Andrea F. M. Salvador, Hélène C. Descamps, Junwon Kim, Yixuan Zhu, Lev Litichevskiy, Sunhee Jung, Won-Suk Song, Adrián Cortés-Martín, Nathan T. Henderson, Kuei-Pin Huang, Thao Nguyen, Wisath Sae-Lee, Iboro C. Umana, Maria Sacta, Ryan J. Rahman, Stephen Wisser, J. Andrew D. Nelson, Ilona Golynker, Alana M. McSween, Eric F. Hohmann, Shaan Patel, Anna L. Bub, Clara Soekler, Niklas Blank, Kevt’her Hoxha, Lavinia Boccia, Andrea C. Wong, Klaas Bahnsen, Jihee Kim, Natalie Biderman, Dina Abbasian, Clarissa Shoffler, Christopher Petucci, Fiona E. McAllister, Amber L. Alhadeff, Marc V. Fuccillo, Colin Hill, Cholsoon Jang, J. Nicholas Betley, Guillaume de Lartigue, Virginia Y.-M. Lee, Maayan Levy, and Christoph A. Thaiss.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/aging-gut-bacteria-numb-the-vagus-nerve-and-drive-memory-loss-in-mice/
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AgingGutMicrobiome #VagusNerve #MemoryLoss #GutBrainAxis #ParabacteroidesGoldsteinii #MediumChainFattyAcids #GutInflammation #HippocampusHealth #Interoception #Neuroinflammation
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DATE: July 1, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Breastfeeding during the first six months is linked to better sleep at one year
A recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition provides evidence that breastfeeding during the first six months of life is associated with better sleep duration for infants at one year of age. The research suggests that babies who receive breast milk, either exclusively or in combination with formula, are less likely to experience abnormally short sleep periods compared to those who are only fed formula.
Adequate sleep is an essential component of a child’s healthy physical and psychological development. When infants consistently experience short sleep durations, they tend to face higher risks of future issues like obesity, hyperactivity, and behavioral challenges. These negative outcomes can adversely affect a child’s social skills and cognitive performance as they grow older.
The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life because of its proven benefits, including protection against childhood infections and support for healthy long-term development. Despite these widely recognized advantages, some caregivers choose infant formula based on the perception that breast milk is digested too quickly, leading to more frequent feedings and less overall sleep. Since infant sleep patterns change rapidly during the first year of life, scientists are looking for the early factors that shape these daily habits to help parents make informed feeding choices.
A research team led by Yuri Nakagawa, a doctoral researcher at the University of Toyama in Japan, sought to explore this potential connection. Nakagawa and her colleagues analyzed data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, which is one of the largest birth cohort projects in the world. The scientists designed their project to see if different feeding patterns in the first six months of life would predict how long infants slept at twelve months of age.
“WHO widely promotes breastfeeding, and most people are aware of the multiple health benefits it provides,” said Nakagawa, the study’s first author. “Nevertheless, perceptions that breastfed infants sleep less, or that formula-fed infants sleep for longer periods, remain common. We wanted to provide solid evidence to bust this misconception.”
To gather their data, the researchers utilized information from a nationwide project that tracked pregnant women living across fifteen different regions in Japan. Participants originally enrolled in the study during their first trimester of pregnancy between January 2011 and March 2014. After excluding multiple births, miscarriages, stillbirths, and records with incomplete responses, the research team analyzed a final sample of 82,918 mother-infant pairs.
To measure feeding habits, mothers completed a self-administered questionnaire six months after giving birth. The mothers were asked to mark the duration of both breastfeeding and formula feeding by drawing lines in boxes that represented one-month intervals. Based on these responses, the researchers divided the infants into four distinct groups.
The first group consisted of babies who were exclusively formula-fed for the first six months of life. The second group included infants who were breastfed for less than six months. A third group was made up of babies who received a combination of breast milk and formula for a full six months. The final group consisted of infants who were exclusively breastfed for a full six months.
To assess the main outcome of the study, parents completed another questionnaire when their child reached one year of age. The parents documented their infant’s sleep schedule by marking thirty-minute intervals over a twenty-four-hour period, from midnight to midnight. The researchers then calculated the total daily sleep time for each child in the study.
The National Sleep Foundation in the United States recommends that one-year-old children sleep between eleven and fourteen hours every day. Relying on this pediatric guideline, the research team defined a short sleep duration as anything less than eleven hours of total sleep in a twenty-four-hour period. In their statistical models, the authors accounted for a wide range of potential confounding factors.
Confounding factors are outside variables that could independently affect both a mother’s feeding choices and her baby’s sleep duration. By controlling for these variables, the researchers could isolate the specific mathematical relationship between milk types and sleep habits. The analysis adjusted for maternal age, educational background, household income, smoking habits, postpartum depression, and the infant’s birth weight.
The team also accounted for the mother’s exercise habits during pregnancy, her level of social support, and any history of physical or mental illness. On the infant’s side, the researchers factored in the baby’s sleep duration at one month of age, the baby’s sex, daycare attendance, and even where the baby slept at night, such as in the parent’s bed or a separate crib.
The analysis revealed that breastfeeding during the first six months was consistently linked to a decreased risk of short sleep duration at one year of age. Among the infants who were exclusively formula-fed for six months, 12.2 percent experienced short sleep durations. This represented the highest rate of short sleep among all the infant groups in the study.
In comparison, the prevalence of short sleep was 10.2 percent for infants breastfed for less than six months. It was 9.7 percent for infants breastfed for six months alongside formula. The lowest rate of short sleep was observed in the exclusively breastfed group, sitting at just 8.8 percent.
When adjusting for the various confounding variables, the statistical differences between the groups remained significant. Compared to the exclusively formula-fed infants, the babies who were breastfed for less than six months had a 16 percent lower likelihood of short sleep. Infants who received a mix of breast milk and formula for six months had a 21 percent lower likelihood.
The strongest statistical association was seen in the exclusively breastfed group. These infants experienced a 23 percent lower likelihood of experiencing a short sleep duration at one year of age when compared to the babies who only received formula. The findings showed a graded association, meaning that longer breastfeeding durations were linked to a progressively lower risk of short sleep.
“This study provides reassurance against the common perception that breastfed babies sleep less because breast milk is digested more rapidly,” Nakagawa said. “Our findings suggest that such concerns should not discourage parents from considering breastfeeding and its many well-established benefits,” she adds.
The researchers proposed several biological mechanisms that might explain how breast milk promotes longer sleep in toddlers. One major difference between breast milk and infant formula is the presence of a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin helps regulate the baby’s internal clock and promotes the onset of sleep while improving overall sleep quality.
Newborn babies are largely unable to produce their own melatonin because their pineal gland, a tiny structure in the brain, is still developing. Because infant formula does not contain this hormone, breastfed infants receive a direct supply of maternal melatonin that formula-fed infants miss out on. This melatonin is secreted heavily into breast milk at night, which might help support the development of healthy sleep rhythms earlier in life.
Another key difference involves an essential amino acid called tryptophan, which the human body uses to produce melatonin. Because humans cannot synthesize tryptophan on their own, infants must acquire it entirely through their daily diet. While the nutritional composition of infant formula remains relatively constant, breast milk adapts to the changing needs of the infant throughout the day.
The concentration of tryptophan in breast milk fluctuates naturally, rising heavily during the nighttime hours. Infant formula maintains a constant level of tryptophan regardless of the time of day. The authors suggest that the natural nighttime increase of tryptophan in breast milk helps infants establish proper sleep and wake cycles.
Finally, the researchers pointed to the gut-brain axis as a possible explanation for the differences in sleep. The gut-brain axis is a complex communication network linking a person’s intestinal bacteria directly to their brain function. Breastfeeding heavily influences the composition of an infant’s gut microbiome, actively promoting the development of healthy bacteria.
Differences in this microbiota between breastfed and formula-fed infants may contribute to the development of healthy sleeping patterns. Since the gut microbes communicate directly with the brain through chemical signals, a healthier gut environment might actively promote better neurological development and improved sleep quality.
While the study provides evidence of a link between feeding methods and sleep, there are several limitations to consider. First, the researchers relied on self-reported questionnaires to gather data on both feeding habits and sleep schedules. This method introduces the possibility of recall bias, where parents might accidentally misremember or inaccurately report their baby’s routine.
The researchers also noted that the overall effect size was relatively modest. The maximum difference in short sleep prevalence between the exclusively breastfed group and the exclusively formula-fed group was only 3.4 percentage points. Parents who need to use formula should not misinterpret the findings to mean their child will inevitably suffer from severe sleep deprivation.
Another limitation is that the team did not directly measure the hormone levels or gut bacteria of the infants. The explanations regarding melatonin, tryptophan, and the gut microbiome are based on existing biological knowledge rather than direct medical tests from this specific group of babies. There may have also been unmeasured environmental factors that influenced the infants’ sleep habits.
For example, the study did not track the brightness of the room where the baby slept or the specific bedtime routines parents used to soothe their children. These external elements could play a major role in shaping a toddler’s resting patterns. Finally, the timeframes within the feeding categories varied widely across the thousands of participants.
For instance, the group of infants who were breastfed for less than six months could include babies who received breast milk for five months as well as babies who only breastfed for a single week. This variance makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact dosage of breast milk required to see a noticeable benefit. Future research should attempt to address these gaps by directly measuring biological markers like hormone levels and gut flora in breastfed and formula-fed infants.
The study, “Breastfeeding and children’s sleep duration at 1 year of age: A nationwide birth cohort The Japan Environment and Children’s Study,” was authored by Yuri Nakagawa, Kenta Matsumura, Akiko Tsuchida, and Hidekuni Inadera.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #BreastfeedingBenefits #BabySleep #BreastMilkMatters #InfantSleepHealth #WHOExclusiveBreastfeeding #BreastfedSleepBetter #GutBrainAxis #MelatoninInMilk #TryptophanInMilk #JapanENVCHS
-
DATE: July 1, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Breastfeeding during the first six months is linked to better sleep at one year
A recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition provides evidence that breastfeeding during the first six months of life is associated with better sleep duration for infants at one year of age. The research suggests that babies who receive breast milk, either exclusively or in combination with formula, are less likely to experience abnormally short sleep periods compared to those who are only fed formula.
Adequate sleep is an essential component of a child’s healthy physical and psychological development. When infants consistently experience short sleep durations, they tend to face higher risks of future issues like obesity, hyperactivity, and behavioral challenges. These negative outcomes can adversely affect a child’s social skills and cognitive performance as they grow older.
The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life because of its proven benefits, including protection against childhood infections and support for healthy long-term development. Despite these widely recognized advantages, some caregivers choose infant formula based on the perception that breast milk is digested too quickly, leading to more frequent feedings and less overall sleep. Since infant sleep patterns change rapidly during the first year of life, scientists are looking for the early factors that shape these daily habits to help parents make informed feeding choices.
A research team led by Yuri Nakagawa, a doctoral researcher at the University of Toyama in Japan, sought to explore this potential connection. Nakagawa and her colleagues analyzed data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, which is one of the largest birth cohort projects in the world. The scientists designed their project to see if different feeding patterns in the first six months of life would predict how long infants slept at twelve months of age.
“WHO widely promotes breastfeeding, and most people are aware of the multiple health benefits it provides,” said Nakagawa, the study’s first author. “Nevertheless, perceptions that breastfed infants sleep less, or that formula-fed infants sleep for longer periods, remain common. We wanted to provide solid evidence to bust this misconception.”
To gather their data, the researchers utilized information from a nationwide project that tracked pregnant women living across fifteen different regions in Japan. Participants originally enrolled in the study during their first trimester of pregnancy between January 2011 and March 2014. After excluding multiple births, miscarriages, stillbirths, and records with incomplete responses, the research team analyzed a final sample of 82,918 mother-infant pairs.
To measure feeding habits, mothers completed a self-administered questionnaire six months after giving birth. The mothers were asked to mark the duration of both breastfeeding and formula feeding by drawing lines in boxes that represented one-month intervals. Based on these responses, the researchers divided the infants into four distinct groups.
The first group consisted of babies who were exclusively formula-fed for the first six months of life. The second group included infants who were breastfed for less than six months. A third group was made up of babies who received a combination of breast milk and formula for a full six months. The final group consisted of infants who were exclusively breastfed for a full six months.
To assess the main outcome of the study, parents completed another questionnaire when their child reached one year of age. The parents documented their infant’s sleep schedule by marking thirty-minute intervals over a twenty-four-hour period, from midnight to midnight. The researchers then calculated the total daily sleep time for each child in the study.
The National Sleep Foundation in the United States recommends that one-year-old children sleep between eleven and fourteen hours every day. Relying on this pediatric guideline, the research team defined a short sleep duration as anything less than eleven hours of total sleep in a twenty-four-hour period. In their statistical models, the authors accounted for a wide range of potential confounding factors.
Confounding factors are outside variables that could independently affect both a mother’s feeding choices and her baby’s sleep duration. By controlling for these variables, the researchers could isolate the specific mathematical relationship between milk types and sleep habits. The analysis adjusted for maternal age, educational background, household income, smoking habits, postpartum depression, and the infant’s birth weight.
The team also accounted for the mother’s exercise habits during pregnancy, her level of social support, and any history of physical or mental illness. On the infant’s side, the researchers factored in the baby’s sleep duration at one month of age, the baby’s sex, daycare attendance, and even where the baby slept at night, such as in the parent’s bed or a separate crib.
The analysis revealed that breastfeeding during the first six months was consistently linked to a decreased risk of short sleep duration at one year of age. Among the infants who were exclusively formula-fed for six months, 12.2 percent experienced short sleep durations. This represented the highest rate of short sleep among all the infant groups in the study.
In comparison, the prevalence of short sleep was 10.2 percent for infants breastfed for less than six months. It was 9.7 percent for infants breastfed for six months alongside formula. The lowest rate of short sleep was observed in the exclusively breastfed group, sitting at just 8.8 percent.
When adjusting for the various confounding variables, the statistical differences between the groups remained significant. Compared to the exclusively formula-fed infants, the babies who were breastfed for less than six months had a 16 percent lower likelihood of short sleep. Infants who received a mix of breast milk and formula for six months had a 21 percent lower likelihood.
The strongest statistical association was seen in the exclusively breastfed group. These infants experienced a 23 percent lower likelihood of experiencing a short sleep duration at one year of age when compared to the babies who only received formula. The findings showed a graded association, meaning that longer breastfeeding durations were linked to a progressively lower risk of short sleep.
“This study provides reassurance against the common perception that breastfed babies sleep less because breast milk is digested more rapidly,” Nakagawa said. “Our findings suggest that such concerns should not discourage parents from considering breastfeeding and its many well-established benefits,” she adds.
The researchers proposed several biological mechanisms that might explain how breast milk promotes longer sleep in toddlers. One major difference between breast milk and infant formula is the presence of a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin helps regulate the baby’s internal clock and promotes the onset of sleep while improving overall sleep quality.
Newborn babies are largely unable to produce their own melatonin because their pineal gland, a tiny structure in the brain, is still developing. Because infant formula does not contain this hormone, breastfed infants receive a direct supply of maternal melatonin that formula-fed infants miss out on. This melatonin is secreted heavily into breast milk at night, which might help support the development of healthy sleep rhythms earlier in life.
Another key difference involves an essential amino acid called tryptophan, which the human body uses to produce melatonin. Because humans cannot synthesize tryptophan on their own, infants must acquire it entirely through their daily diet. While the nutritional composition of infant formula remains relatively constant, breast milk adapts to the changing needs of the infant throughout the day.
The concentration of tryptophan in breast milk fluctuates naturally, rising heavily during the nighttime hours. Infant formula maintains a constant level of tryptophan regardless of the time of day. The authors suggest that the natural nighttime increase of tryptophan in breast milk helps infants establish proper sleep and wake cycles.
Finally, the researchers pointed to the gut-brain axis as a possible explanation for the differences in sleep. The gut-brain axis is a complex communication network linking a person’s intestinal bacteria directly to their brain function. Breastfeeding heavily influences the composition of an infant’s gut microbiome, actively promoting the development of healthy bacteria.
Differences in this microbiota between breastfed and formula-fed infants may contribute to the development of healthy sleeping patterns. Since the gut microbes communicate directly with the brain through chemical signals, a healthier gut environment might actively promote better neurological development and improved sleep quality.
While the study provides evidence of a link between feeding methods and sleep, there are several limitations to consider. First, the researchers relied on self-reported questionnaires to gather data on both feeding habits and sleep schedules. This method introduces the possibility of recall bias, where parents might accidentally misremember or inaccurately report their baby’s routine.
The researchers also noted that the overall effect size was relatively modest. The maximum difference in short sleep prevalence between the exclusively breastfed group and the exclusively formula-fed group was only 3.4 percentage points. Parents who need to use formula should not misinterpret the findings to mean their child will inevitably suffer from severe sleep deprivation.
Another limitation is that the team did not directly measure the hormone levels or gut bacteria of the infants. The explanations regarding melatonin, tryptophan, and the gut microbiome are based on existing biological knowledge rather than direct medical tests from this specific group of babies. There may have also been unmeasured environmental factors that influenced the infants’ sleep habits.
For example, the study did not track the brightness of the room where the baby slept or the specific bedtime routines parents used to soothe their children. These external elements could play a major role in shaping a toddler’s resting patterns. Finally, the timeframes within the feeding categories varied widely across the thousands of participants.
For instance, the group of infants who were breastfed for less than six months could include babies who received breast milk for five months as well as babies who only breastfed for a single week. This variance makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact dosage of breast milk required to see a noticeable benefit. Future research should attempt to address these gaps by directly measuring biological markers like hormone levels and gut flora in breastfed and formula-fed infants.
The study, “Breastfeeding and children’s sleep duration at 1 year of age: A nationwide birth cohort The Japan Environment and Children’s Study,” was authored by Yuri Nakagawa, Kenta Matsumura, Akiko Tsuchida, and Hidekuni Inadera.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #BreastfeedingBenefits #BabySleep #BreastMilkMatters #InfantSleepHealth #WHOExclusiveBreastfeeding #BreastfedSleepBetter #GutBrainAxis #MelatoninInMilk #TryptophanInMilk #JapanENVCHS
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GLP-1 drugs led to weight loss and reversed depression-like behavior in mice
#HackerNews #GLP1drugs #weightloss #depression #mice #gutbrainaxis #mentalhealth
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GLP-1 drugs led to weight loss and reversed depression-like behavior in mice
#HackerNews #GLP1drugs #weightloss #depression #mice #gutbrainaxis #mentalhealth
-
Fascinated by the whole gut/brain axis thing ... and to learn that my morning coffee may* actually support the microbiome makes me very happy 😁
*findings are tentative, as the article makes clear
-
Fascinated by the whole gut/brain axis thing ... and to learn that my morning coffee may* actually support the microbiome makes me very happy 😁
*findings are tentative, as the article makes clear
-
NF1 research breakthrough sparks hope for simple, affordable therapies
📰 Original title: Zoe Petropoulos hopeful following breakthrough in neurofibromatosis research
🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/nf1-research-breakthrough-sparks-hope-for-simple-affordable-therapies.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
-
NF1 research breakthrough sparks hope for simple, affordable therapies
📰 Original title: Zoe Petropoulos hopeful following breakthrough in neurofibromatosis research
🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Users: It's not clickbait ✅View full AI summary https://en.killbait.com/nf1-research-breakthrough-sparks-hope-for-simple-affordable-therapies.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
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Tip of the day: Cook your food with this oil for better memory and brain function
Heard of the saying ‘You are what you eat?’ The core message behind this common saying is that what is on your plate, you…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #MediterraneanOliveOil #OliveOil #brainhealth #ExtraVirginOliveOil #gutbacteria #gutbrainaxis #health #Mediterranean #MediterraneanDiet #Olive
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2551727/tip-of-the-day-cook-your-food-with-this-oil-for-better-memory-and-brain-function/ -
Tip of the day: Cook your food with this oil for better memory and brain function
Heard of the saying ‘You are what you eat?’ The core message behind this common saying is that what is on your plate, you…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #MediterraneanOliveOil #OliveOil #brainhealth #ExtraVirginOliveOil #gutbacteria #gutbrainaxis #health #Mediterranean #MediterraneanDiet #Olive
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2551727/tip-of-the-day-cook-your-food-with-this-oil-for-better-memory-and-brain-function/ -
Tip of the day: Cook your food with this oil for better memory and brain function https://www.diningandcooking.com/2551727/tip-of-the-day-cook-your-food-with-this-oil-for-better-memory-and-brain-function/ #BrainHealth #ExtraVirginOliveOil #GutBacteria #GutBrainAxis #health #Mediterranean #MediterraneanDiet #MediterraneanOliveOil #Olive #OliveOil
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Tip of the day: Cook your food with this oil for better memory and brain function https://www.diningandcooking.com/2551727/tip-of-the-day-cook-your-food-with-this-oil-for-better-memory-and-brain-function/ #BrainHealth #ExtraVirginOliveOil #GutBacteria #GutBrainAxis #health #Mediterranean #MediterraneanDiet #MediterraneanOliveOil #Olive #OliveOil
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Wenn wir beim Gehen bewusst an Themen arbeiten, passiert mehr als „nur Denken“: Rhythmischer Schritt, Naturreize und der Tagtraum-Modus des Gehirns beruhigen das Nervensystem, Dauerstress sinkt – das entlastet auch unseren Darm und schafft ein günstigeres Milieu für ein resilienteres Mikrobiom.
Gehen + emotionale Verarbeitung = weniger Stresslast im ganzen System.
#gehenunddenken #gehmeditation #gutbrainaxis #mikrobiom #resilienz #mentalhealth #embodiment #naturewalks -
Wenn wir beim Gehen bewusst an Themen arbeiten, passiert mehr als „nur Denken“: Rhythmischer Schritt, Naturreize und der Tagtraum-Modus des Gehirns beruhigen das Nervensystem, Dauerstress sinkt – das entlastet auch unseren Darm und schafft ein günstigeres Milieu für ein resilienteres Mikrobiom.
Gehen + emotionale Verarbeitung = weniger Stresslast im ganzen System.
#gehenunddenken #gehmeditation #gutbrainaxis #mikrobiom #resilienz #mentalhealth #embodiment #naturewalks -
🧠 Gut–Brain Axis: 4 Key Pathways
1️⃣ Neural – Vagus & ENS transmit signals; serotonin, dopamine, GABA modulate mood.
2️⃣ Endocrine – Microbiota shapes HPA axis; cortisol, GLP-1, ghrelin affect stress & appetite.
3️⃣ Immune – Cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) link gut & neuroinflammation.
4️⃣ Metabolic – SCFAs, bile acids, BCAAs influence energy & cognition.
-
CW: bodily functions
Symptom: Chronic Diarrhea
https://www.illmarks.com/symptom-chronic-diarrhea/
#anxiety #art #autism #bodilyFunction #bodilyFunction #bodyHorror #bodyMapping #cfs #chronicIllness #depression #diarrhea #eds #ehlersdanlossyndrome #FunctionalGastrointestinalDisorder #gastroenterology #gastrointestinal #GI #gutBrainAxis #gutbrainAxis #heds #hypermobile #hypermobility #hypermobilityspectrumdisorder #ibs #longCovid #longcovid #mecfs #MECFSBuy #medart #medicalArt #MillionsMissing #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #neurodivergence #PIIBS #postInfectiousIrritableBowelSyndrome #postIfectiousIrritibleBowelSyndrome #pwLC #pwme #rritableBowelSyndrome #SciArt #SciComms
-
CW: bodily functions
Symptom: Chronic Diarrhea
https://www.illmarks.com/symptom-chronic-diarrhea/
#anxiety #art #autism #bodilyFunction #bodilyFunction #bodyHorror #bodyMapping #cfs #chronicIllness #depression #diarrhea #eds #ehlersdanlossyndrome #FunctionalGastrointestinalDisorder #gastroenterology #gastrointestinal #GI #gutBrainAxis #gutbrainAxis #heds #hypermobile #hypermobility #hypermobilityspectrumdisorder #ibs #longCovid #longcovid #mecfs #MECFSBuy #medart #medicalArt #MillionsMissing #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #neurodivergence #PIIBS #postInfectiousIrritableBowelSyndrome #postIfectiousIrritibleBowelSyndrome #pwLC #pwme #rritableBowelSyndrome #SciArt #SciComms
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🧠 Could gut metabolites hold the key to enhancing antidepressant effects?
🔗 Does isovaleric acid play a key role in the interaction between probiotics and antidepressants? A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2025.05.035
📚 CSBJ: https://www.csbj.org/
#GutBrainAxis #MentalHealth #Probiotics #DepressionResearch #Psychobiotics #Microbiome
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🧠 Could gut metabolites hold the key to enhancing antidepressant effects?
🔗 Does isovaleric acid play a key role in the interaction between probiotics and antidepressants? A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2025.05.035
📚 CSBJ: https://www.csbj.org/
#GutBrainAxis #MentalHealth #Probiotics #DepressionResearch #Psychobiotics #Microbiome
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‘Hot girl’ stomach problems? Yes, IBS affects women more than men – here’s why
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Inflammation, Mood, and the Brain: The Immune–Interoception Connection
#Interoception #BrainBodyConnection #GutBrainAxis #InflammationAndMood #PredictiveCoding #VagusNerve #Neuroscience #MentalHealth #Insula #AnteriorCingulate #EmotionalRegulation #Mindfulness #Neurostimulation #EmotionalGranularity
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Tryptophan and the Kynurenine Pathway: Metabolic Routes Impacting Mood and Neurodegeneration
#BrainChemistry #Neuroimmune #KynureninePathway #GutBrainAxis #Neuroinflammation #Microglia #Astrocytes #Neurodegeneration #OxidativeStress #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #Metabolism #NervousSystem #DietAndBrain #Neuroscience
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The Chemistry of Mood: Serotonin, Tryptamine, and Neurotransmitter Regulation
#Neurochemistry #BrainHealth #GutBrainAxis #Tryptophan #Serotonin #Microbiome #Neuroinflammation #Toxins #BloodBrainBarrier #BrainRecovery #Neuroscience #MentalHealth #CellularBiology #BrainProtection #MolecularScience
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Serotonin Explained: The Chemical Messenger Linking Your Gut and Brain
#Serotonin #GutBrainAxis #Microbiota #Neuroscience #MentalHealth #DigestiveHealth #Biochemistry #Tryptophan #Neurotransmitters #GutHealth
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The Brain's Metropolis: How Microglia, Gut Microbes, and Stress Shape Your Mind
#BrainHealth #Neuroinflammation #GutBrainAxis #Microglia #MentalHealth #Neuroplasticity #GutMicrobiome #StressAndBrain #NeuroScience #BrainTour
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Exercise as Therapy: Boost Your Mental Health & Transform Your Well-Being
#MentalHealth #ExerciseTherapy #WellnessJourney #MindBodyConnection #BrainHealth #SelfCare #HolisticHealth #Yoga #Walking #Jogging #StressRelief #MoodBoost #HealthyLiving #Neuroplasticity #GutBrainAxis #Resilience #FitnessForMindAndBody
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Mediterranean Diet and Cognition: Microbiome Link Revealed https://www.diningandcooking.com/2083130/mediterranean-diet-and-cognition-microbiome-link-revealed/ #Cognition #diet #GutBrainAxis #GutMicrobiome #Mediterranean #MediterraneanDiet
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Mediterranean Diet and Cognition: Microbiome Link Revealed https://www.diningandcooking.com/2083130/mediterranean-diet-and-cognition-microbiome-link-revealed/ #Cognition #diet #GutBrainAxis #GutMicrobiome #Mediterranean #MediterraneanDiet
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Vitamin D, B12, and Folate: The Unsung Heroes of Mental Well-being
#MentalHealth #VitaminsForBrain #VitaminD #VitaminB12 #Folate #GutBrainAxis #Neurohealth #MoodSupport #BrainNutrition #Microbiome #DepressionHelp #AnxietyRelief #HealthyMind #NutritionMatters
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🧠 A new review in Nutrients links anxiety to gut microbiota imbalances—like reduced diversity & fewer short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria. Probiotics may help ease symptoms by supporting gut health. #GutBrainAxis #Probiotics #MentalHealth #RDNsLead #NutritionScience https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/anxiety-is-linked-to-gut-health-could-probiotics-help-treat-it
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What are you #top3 current interests?
Mine: #fermentation #gutbrainaxis #finalfantasy6pixelremaster
@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic #actuallyadhd #audhd #neurodivergent #askingadhd #askingautistics
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What are you #top3 current interests?
Mine: #fermentation #gutbrainaxis #finalfantasy6pixelremaster
@actuallyautistic #actuallyautistic #actuallyadhd #audhd #neurodivergent #askingadhd #askingautistics
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Gut-brain axis: Study uncovers microbiota differences in impulsive and non-impulsive female convicts https://www.psypost.org/gut-brain-axis-study-uncovers-microbiota-differences-in-impulsive-and-non-impulsive-female-convicts/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #GutBrainAxis #Microbiota #MentalHealth #ImpulsiveBehavior #ResearchStudy
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Interesting if true: Vagus nerve innervation (controlled by BLA?) to Brunner's glands in the duodenum control the hospitability of the gut to lactobacillus. Ablating the glands renders the gut susceptible to dysbiosis.
An Amygdalar-Vagal-Glandular Circuit Controls the Intestinal Microbiome
Chang et al., preprint at biorxiv 2024
https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.06.02.594027 -
Interesting if true: Vagus nerve innervation (controlled by BLA?) to Brunner's glands in the duodenum control the hospitability of the gut to lactobacillus. Ablating the glands renders the gut susceptible to dysbiosis.
An Amygdalar-Vagal-Glandular Circuit Controls the Intestinal Microbiome
Chang et al., preprint at biorxiv 2024
https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.06.02.594027 -
"Taken together, our study demonstrates that members of the Bacteroidota phylum contribute to AD pathogenesis by suppressing microglia phagocytic function, which leads to impaired Aβ clearance and accumulation of amyloid plaques."
Bacteroidota inhibit microglia clearance of amyloid-beta and promote plaque deposition in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models
Wasén et al., Nature Communications 2024
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47683-w#neuroscience #gutbacteria #microbiome #microglia #gutbrainaxis
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"Taken together, our study demonstrates that members of the Bacteroidota phylum contribute to AD pathogenesis by suppressing microglia phagocytic function, which leads to impaired Aβ clearance and accumulation of amyloid plaques."
Bacteroidota inhibit microglia clearance of amyloid-beta and promote plaque deposition in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models
Wasén et al., Nature Communications 2024
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47683-w#neuroscience #gutbacteria #microbiome #microglia #gutbrainaxis
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Very proud of Sameer Alladin, who just published the first preprint of his PhD! It's on proto-#nausea: that slightly funny feeling you get in your #stomach when you experience #disgust!
If you're interested in #Affect, #Emotion, #Interoception, and/or the #gutbrainaxis, you might enjoy it.
Read it here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8283453
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And following the #TwitterMigration Now in the right server 😉 Here comes my intro! #neuroscience #neurodon #decisionneuroscience Hello everyone! I’m a 4th year PhD candidate focused on decision neuroscience, noninvasive brain stimulation #nibs and the #gutbrainaxis. My research aims at clarifying the neural underpinnings of #risktakingbehavior Check out my work AlineDantas.net and connect!
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#Introductions
I like and care about:
#Microglia
#Microbiota
#Neurodevelopment
#Neuroimmunology
#GutBrainMicrobeAxis
#GutBrainAxis
#SciencePolicy
#RegulatoryScience
#RegulatoryPolicy
#TeaAndBiscotti
I am concerned about:
#COVID
#LongCovid -
Hello, and an #introduction.
I use and integrate omics data to understand how the gut microbiota influences mammalian intestinal and systemic health. I'm particularly interested in how microbially produced metabolites interact with host metabolic pathways.
My team is looking at functional and genomic aspects of gut bacteria, especially Klebsiella and Collinsella spp.
I have a soft spot for phages.
