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Can your gut make you socially anxious and fearful?

Looking after your gut could mean looking after your mind.

Research shows that the gut microbiome of people with social anxiety disorders (SAD) is different from that of healthy individuals. The Guardian reports about further connections established between the gut and our mental wellbeing:

  • A PNAS study reports that when gut microbes from healthy people and people with SAD were transferred into mice, the mice who received the microbiome transplant from SAD donors developed an increased fear response and showed lasting differences in the gut microbiome
  • This finding suggests that our gut composition has the potential to cause behavioral effects, such as fear and anxiety.

It is fascinating that intestinal microorganisms can affect higher cognitive functions, such as mental balance. Of course, further studies are needed to solidify this link and specify the molecular mechanisms, but it is clear that the gut and the brain are connected.

Sources: Ritz et al. 2023, The Guardian 2023

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