Posted on 03/23/2011 12:41:42 PM PDT by decimon
'Cross-talk' between bacteria in our gut and our brain
HAMILTON, ON (March 23, 2011) - A lot of chatter goes on inside each one of us and not all of it happens between our ears.
Researchers at McMaster University discovered that the "cross-talk" between bacteria in our gut and our brain plays an important role in the development of psychiatric illness, intestinal diseases and probably other health problems as well including obesity.
"The wave of the future is full of opportunity as we think about how microbiota or bacteria influence the brain and how the bi-directional communication of the body and the brain influence metabolic disorders, such as obesity and diabetes," says Jane Foster, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
Using germ-free mice, Foster's research shows gut bacteria influences how the brain is wired for learning and memory. The research paper has been published in the March issue of the science journal Neurogastroenterology and Motility.
The study's results show that genes linked to learning and memory are altered in germ-free mice and, in particular, they are altered in one of the key brain regions for learning and memory – the hippocampus.
"The take-home message is that gut bacteria influences anxiety-like behavior through alterations in the way the brain is wired," said Foster.
Foster's laboratory is located in the Brain-Body Institute, a joint research initiative of McMaster University and St. Joseph's Healthcare in Hamilton. The institute was created to advance understanding of the relationship between the brain, nervous system and bodily disorders.
"We have a hypothesis in my lab that the state of your immune system and your gut bacteria – which are in constant communication – influences your personality," Foster said.
She said psychiatrists, in particular, are interested in her research because of the problems of side effects with current drug therapy.
"The idea behind this research is to see if it's possible to develop new therapies which could target the body, free of complications related to getting into the brain," Foster said. "We need novel targets that take a different approach than what is currently on the market for psychiatric illness. Those targets could be the immune system, your gut function…we could even use the body to screen patients to say what drugs might work better in their brain."
I’ve spent over $2000 trying to ease the pain of arthritis for my gelding. Problem is we both have arthritis and I can only get off and walk a couple miles of mountain before we’re both crippled. Rode him 12 years of many mountain & beach trails & mounted shooting. Grand kids & nieces love him & he loves them. Sending him with a pile of supplements and bute to a kids at risk program next week. It’s going to be tough.
...the "cross-talk" between bacteria in our gut and our brain plays an important role in the development of psychiatric illness, intestinal diseases and probably other health problems as well including obesity...This sounds like the germ of an idea. Probably the research was conducted by Dannon.
Wow. A hypothesis. Haven't these people ever been around anyone who is grouchy, snappish, to the point you finally have to ask, "What's up your ..."
BTW, Civ. I'm pretty sure Dannon had to pull those Jamie Lee Curtis ads touting Activia as a cure for irregularity.
Seems that idea was just a hypothesis.
Bute? Why bute? It will give him ulcers and can’t be used long-term. Have you tried Previcox for him? Previcox is far more successful at helping horses cope with chronic pain, like arthritis, and doesn’t have the side effects.
Bute? Why bute? It will give him ulcers and can’t be used long-term. Have you tried Previcox for him? Previcox is far more successful at helping horses cope with chronic pain, like arthritis, and doesn’t have the side effects.
“The voices in your head are bacteria?” At last, I have somebody/something to blame!
Not humans in general, just liberals.
There's significant evidence that arthritis is exacerbated, or even caused, by a chronically acidic cellular environment (low oxygen).
Try Glucosamine & MSM (methylsulfonylmethane).
Also try an alkaline diet, and alkaline supplements such as pinches of baking soda in your water and food (really), MMS (a Chlorine Dioxide solution), massively upping your dark greens and water intake, and cutting out acidic foods such as sugar, coffee, alcohol, etc.
I see no reason why the same principles wouldn't apply to your horse, too.
My horses and I have been on every anti-arthritis nutrieceutical known to mankind for years. And, they have all worked, to a point.
I was at a barn inspecting a metal roof for wind damage and was talking to the owner. He charges $1800 a MONTH to board horses in the heated barn which has enough room to ride horses around. $1800 a MONTH! And he was barely making ends meet.
That could be what makes me feel nausea when I am frightened.
The gift of fear.
God is pretty cool!
hmmmmmmmmmm
thx
This is very steep for Tennessee. I live near Washington DC and the cost for board alone would be in the range of $575-750 a month, depending on how glam the facility is. This would be for a stable that has a large indoor arena as well as outdoor arenas, pastures, access to trails, horse shows and clinics on site, and parking for boarders’ trailers and tow vehicles, provides very good quality feed and hay, stall fans and automatic waterers, and offers daily stall cleaning, group or individual turnout, medications, blanketing, and holding for vet and farrier. At this price point grooming and tacking up would not be provided and bandaging or exercising would be charged separately. Eighteen hundred a month would definitely include training fees. Even an Olympic-champion coach does not charge that much in the expensive northern Virginia/Maryland area.
On the other hand we do not have a heated indoor arena or barn. They are virtually unknown here, even though MD is colder than Tennessee. Most vets will tell you that heating a facility at the latitude of Tennessee is not healthy for horses; they do best when it’s cool. I imagine that if the owner of the barn you visited is not making a profit though he’s charging $1800, he either has an enormous mortgage eating his profits or he is spending all his income on his heating bill.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.