Study: Gut Flora in early life alters Brain Development

[Guest guest]

Normal gut microbiota modulates brain development and behavior.

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21282636>

Heijtz RD, Wang S, Anuar F, Qian Y, Björkholm B, sson A, Hibberd

ML, Forssberg H, Pettersson S.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Feb 15;108(7):3047-52.

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> An Astounding Discovery: Gut Flora Influences Brain Development

> Thursday, February 17, 2011 - Byron s, CCN

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www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/an_astounding_discovery_gut_flora_infl\

uences_brain_development/

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<http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/an_astounding_discovery_gut_fl\

ora_influences_brain_development/>

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> The new study is with mice that are bread to have no digestive

> bacteria. Scientists can then introduce the bacteria or not, creating

> a wide range of fascinating scientific experiments, all the while

> comparing them to mice with normal gut flora, and all the while

> measuring genomic signaling. In the current study researchers found

> that the no-bacteria mice grew up and had much more hyperactive and

> risky behavior as adults. If they were given normal bacteria early in

> their life then they grew up with the same normal behavior traits of

> control mice. If they were given normal bacteria later in life the

> hyper/risky behavior was already established. I'm giving you the

> simple explanation of the study; it was done using advanced genomic

> monitoring to see what was going on. It was clear that the gut genomic

> signaling was influencing brain development.

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> " The data suggests that there is a critical period early in life when

> gut microorganisms affect the brain and change the behavior in later

> life, " says Dr. Rochellys Heijtz, first author of the study. "

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> In other words, the proper formation of brain structure and the

> healthy plasticity of nerve networks are influenced by gut bacteria.

> While this is an animal study there is no data to indicate that this

> is also not the case for humans - to the contrary, this goes a long

> way towards helping to explain a great deal of human mental health

> issues and may shed a new understanding on how such problems get

> started. Extrapolating on the meaning of the data would certainly

> suggest that antibiotics, which disrupt normal bacterial evolution in

> the digestive tract, could be a significant cause or contributor to

> autism, ADHD, mood disorders, and generally lessened cognitive ability.

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> The complete article is at the given link.

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> Referenced Studies:

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> 1.. ^ Gut Bacteria and Brain Development Proceedings of the National

> Academy of Sciences R. D. Heijtz, S. Wang, F. Anuar, Y. Qian, B.

> Bjorkholm, A. sson, M. L. Hibberd, H. Forssberg, S. Pettersson.

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Normal gut microbiota modulates brain development and behavior — PNAS

<http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/3047.full.pdf+html>