There are many perks of being in 21st Century. While you get to witness the best of everything, there are certain side effects which can be deadly if not dealt with properly. According to recent data by World Health Organisation, as much as 8 lakh people die due to depression every year. Many institutions across the globe has taken steps to suppress this issue. The most effective ones are the support groups. However, one thing that we didn’t know about depression is that this is a ‘disease’. It can be related to changes in your gut microbes. Believe it or not, research proofs shows that there are certain bacteria that can trigger depression amongst humans.
Philip Strandwitz, began this research as a doctoral student in Kim Lewis’ Antimicrobial Discovery Center at Northeastern University. He was working with a team researching depression at Weill Cornell Medical College which led to this conclusion. They took faecal samples and brain scans of individuals diagnosed with clinical depression. They found that patients with particular brain signatures associated with depression had fewer bacteria belonging to genus Bacteroides. This bacteria is responsible for the production of an inhibitory neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA. GABA interferes with signals sent between nerves, keeping your brain from being over-stimulated and providing a sense of calm. When there are low levels of GABA in the body, people are more prone to anxiety, insomnia, and depression. Researchers have discovered a new type of cell in the lining of the intestine that seems to provide a direct link between brain and gut bacteria. These cells connect to the vagus nerve, which stretches from the brain all the way to the abdomen.
So the next time, you feel depressed, remember that it’s not your mind but your body that’s suffering, as well.
Shraddha Patil.