NEW STUDY: Gut flora influences brain development

[Guest guest]

probably more than a little sarcasm in the title! We've known a long time, the

Gut-Brain connection but this study design is brilliant. Science Daily article

here <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110201083928.htm> this

<http://www.pnas.org/content/108/7/3047> is the link to the full study itself

which you can download for free (my comments are at the end. )

An Astounding Discovery: Gut Flora Influences Brain Development

Thursday, February 17, 2011 - Byron s, CCN

<www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/an_astounding_discovery_

gut_flora_influences_brain_development/>

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.

" 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. "

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.

The complete article is at the given link.

Referenced Studies:

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.

This touches upon many facets of infancy.....just off the top of my head, early

use of antibiotics, the way fevers are handled in infancy and toddlerhood,

whether or not a baby was formula-fed early or breastfed (usually strongly

protective, but possibly if the mother has leaky gut syndrome herself, passing

large proteins to baby resulting in negative changes), earlier and earlier use

of vaccines which are documented to alter multiple systems- platelet activity,

vitamin C and other antioxidant depletion, immune system long-term health is

reduced, heavy metals' influence on a cellular level in the gut, also probably

altering glutatione production/use, etc.

Has anyone seen the book THE SECOND BRAIN??

<http://www.amazon.com/Second-Brain-Groundbreaking-Understanding-Disorders/dp/00\

60930721/>

Been wanting to order that one for a while.