Recent research published in psychiatry They found a significant correlation between emotional states, including how emotions are regulated, and the composition of the gut microbiome. These associations suggest a link between the psychological processes that manage emotions and the types of bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract, shedding new light on the gut-brain axis.
Our gut microbiome is a complex and dynamic community of trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that reside within our gastrointestinal tract. These tiny microbes play an important role in our overall health, influencing our digestion, immunity, and even our mood and mental health.
The gut-brain axis refers to the bidirectional communication network between the central nervous system (which includes the brain) and the enteric nervous system (which governs intestinal function). This network is not only a physical connection, but also a chemical one, as gut bacteria produce a variety of substances that can affect brain function.
Previous research has established a relationship between emotional states and physical health. Both positive emotions, such as happiness, and negative emotions, such as anxiety and depression, are associated with health outcomes such as heart disease and obesity. However, the mechanisms underlying these links were not fully understood. The researchers hypothesized that the gut microbiome may play an important role in this relationship, especially since certain psychiatric disorders are associated with alterations in the gut microbiome.
In a joint statement, the study co-authors said: Shanlin Ke (Postdoctoral Fellow, Brigham and Women’s Hospital), Yang Yu Liu (Associate Professor, Brigham and Women’s Hospital), Anne-José Guimon (scientific experts at the Quebec National Institute of Excellence in Service), and Laura D. Kubzanski (Professor at Harvard School of Public Health) explained the motivation behind the study:
“The expression of both negative emotions (e.g., depression, anxiety) and positive emotions (e.g., happiness, joy) can affect not only the possibility of maintaining physical health, but also the development of chronic diseases and overall mortality. It is also associated with risk: Emotion regulation, the strategies individuals use to manage their emotions, also influences health and explains why positive and negative emotions are associated with physical health outcomes. This may help explain why.”
“The gut-brain axis (i.e., the biochemical signaling between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system) connects the emotional and cognitive regions of the central nervous system with the gut. This connection allows the brain to interact with the gut environment. A bidirectional effect is possible that can cause changes in the microbial composition and alter the microbial composition. And the gut microbiome can influence emotional processes.
“This study examines positive and negative emotions and two commonly used strategies to regulate emotions: cognitive reappraisal (reframing the situation to see it in a more positive light). “We wanted to investigate emotional suppression (suppressing emotions and expressing negative emotions), which may be associated with gut microbial composition and functional pathways in healthy women.” explained the researchers.
“Previous studies observed an association between positive (but not negative) emotions and gut microbiota composition in a small sample of healthy Korean adults. We wanted to examine these relationships as well as their relationships with emotion regulation strategies in a sample of
The study, conducted as part of the Nurses’ Health Study II, involved 206 female nurses between the ages of 49 and 67. Participants completed a detailed online questionnaire to assess their emotional state. This includes measures of positive and negative emotions and emotion regulation strategies, such as how often you suppress your emotions and how often you reframe your thoughts to feel better.
Participants also provided stool samples over a period of about six months. These samples were then analyzed to determine the types and amounts of bacteria present and the metabolic pathways active in the gut microbiome.
“Strengths of our study include collecting multiple stool samples per participant, shotgun metagenomics sequencing, detailed phenotyping of participants, and validated measures of emotion regulation.” said the researchers.
The researchers found that the presence and abundance of specific gut bacteria varied depending on the emotional state of the participants. People who reported higher levels of positive emotions had a different bacterial composition compared to those who reported higher levels of negative emotions.
For example, certain bacterial species such as Firmicutes CAG 94 and Ruminococcaceae D16 It was less frequent among individuals with higher positive affect scores. In contrast, these same bacterial species were detected more frequently in participants with higher negative emotion scores. This finding suggests a complex relationship between our mental health and the types of bacteria that thrive in our gastrointestinal tracts.
Additionally, participants who frequently suppressed their emotions had lower diversity in their gut microbial communities. A diverse gut microbiome often leads to improved overall health.
Beyond the presence of specific bacterial species, the study also observed a link between emotional states and metabolic pathways within the gut microbiome. For example, negative emotions are associated with lower abundance of metabolic pathways involved in the biosynthesis of pantothenic acid and coenzyme A (CoA), compounds essential for various metabolic reactions. Similarly, pathways related to adenosine biosynthesis were inversely correlated with negative emotions.
“Our study suggests that emotions and the strategies used to regulate them are associated with the composition of the gut microbiome,” researchers told PsyPost. “More specifically, our findings support favorable emotional functioning, characterized by higher levels of positive emotions and lower levels of negative emotions, and more effective emotion regulation (i.e., relapse). Our results suggest that higher use of appraisal and lower use of inhibition) are associated with different emotions.” Compositional profile of the gut microbiome at the species level. We also found that certain emotion-related factors were associated with microbiome diversity and specific metabolic pathways. ”
“These results support and extend existing evidence linking emotions and emotion-related factors to the human gut microbiome. Furthermore, these findings suggest that higher psychological processes may be linked in a health-relevant manner. reveals how cellular processes influence or can be influenced. These reveal how psychosocial factors are related to physical health, and ultimately may provide a window into understanding whether such relationships can be modified to improve health. “Provides early evidence to suggest future research into targeted interventions (such as probiotics).”
Although this study provides important insights, it also has limitations. The sample consisted primarily of white, middle-aged female medical professionals, many of whom were taking antidepressants. This particular demographic may limit the generalizability of our findings to other groups. Furthermore, the design of this study does not allow for conclusions about causality. It is unclear whether emotional state influences the gut microbiome or vice versa, or whether a third unmeasured variable influences both.
“The generalizability of our findings needs to be further verified by external studies based on larger and more diverse populations, including men and youth from different racial and ethnic groups,” the researchers explained. did. “Second, although the associations between emotion-related factors and the microbiome are likely bidirectional, we were working with cross-sectional data, which makes it difficult to test for causality or directionality in these relationships. I couldn’t do it.”
“Thus, while we used the most rigorous methods available to assess these associations (i.e., we did not consider any factors that may influence these associations, such as socioeconomic status or body weight, (considering different host factors), future studies should use both human intervention studies and human intervention studies; animal studies are needed to confirm the direction of these associations. Future studies Research may also need to evaluate specific emotions (e.g., anxiety, joy) and other strategies to manage emotions related to the gut microbiome.”
the study, “Emotions in the gut: Associations between women’s emotions and emotion regulation and the gut microbiota” is written by Shanlin Ke, Anne-Josee Guimond, Shelley S. Tworoger, Tianyi Huang, Andrew T. Chan, Yang-Yu Liu, and Laura D. Kubzansky.
