How your gut bacteria could be affecting your brain

LONDON — Recent studies have been looking at the link between the gut, specifically the microbiome, and its effects on the brain.

A study at Kyushu University in Japan found that "germ-free" mice had more stress hormones than mice with healthy gut bacteria, according to BBC.

This led researchers to look at treating depression and anxiety through alterations in the gut microbiome.
How could gut microbes be affecting and reaching the brain? One possible route is through the vagus nerve, the connection between the brain and gut.

Another possibility is that gut bacteria break down fiber into short-chain fatty acids that can have effects throughout the body.

Brain disorders have been linked to the immune system, and with 70 to 80 percent of the immune system located in the gut, treating the microbiome could be vital to finding effective cures.