2023-07-10 13:32:25
It has a ‘direct line’ to the brain, and plays a key role in health. It is the intestinal microbiota, an ‘ally’ to protect: if its balance is affected, in fact, it can have negative consequences also in terms of diseases. A focus of experts from the scientific and academic world is dedicated to the secrets of this ‘invisible organ’ that lives in the human body. An opportunity to take stock of the knowledge gathered to date is an Ecm (‘Microbiota: from the intestine to the brain’) scientific conference, which will be held in live streaming on Friday 14 July from 4 pm, an event promoted and organized by Artemisia Academy, a body of the Artemisia Foundation, of which Mariastella Giorlandino is president, administrator of Artemisia Lab Network and Confapi Health, University and Research representative.
The intestinal microbiota, the set of effective microorganisms of our intestine, is directly responsible for our state of health, for the metabolization of some nutrients and for the production of metabolites, which also have a positive effect on mental balance, explains a note . In fact, it has been scientifically proven that the stability of the intestinal microbiota is able to positively influence brain processes, with effects that can affect mental health and cognitive functions, experts point out: the intestinal microbiota, through the intestinal nervous system, sends signals to the brain by stimulating the release of hormones or transforming nutrients into substances and vitamins that influence metabolism and the immune system, which in turn impact brain function. For example, it has been shown that 90% of serotonin is synthesized in the intestines.
But the communication between the intestinal microbiota and the brain, experts warn, can also be triggered in a negative sense: alterations in the composition of the intestinal microbiota “can even cause the development or aggravation of various oncological pathologies, psychiatric pathologies (depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia, anorexia, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders) or neurodegenerative, as revealed, for example, by a study carried out by English and German researchers, published in ‘Jama Psychiatry'”.
Other scientific studies have also shown that shocking, painful or highly stressful events can significantly affect the intestinal microbiota and overall well-being of the person, right from the developmental stage in the mother’s womb and from birth, the experts continue. For example, the detachment of the newborn from the mother represents a real trauma that can significantly alter the microbiota of the child and, consequently, its systemic balance. In fact, the first moment in which we come into contact with microorganisms is precisely that of childbirth, an event which therefore represents the first important factor constituting the baby’s microbiota.
Another source of microorganisms is breast milk, which contributes strategically in the first year of life: breastfeeding not only transmits the best nutrients for the development of the child’s body, but also determines the selection of the best microbiota for the his intestines, consequently also preserving the process of emotional regulation, the experts still observe. The composition of the intestinal microbiota is peculiar and unique to each individual and depends mainly on genetic and environmental factors (including lifestyle, the use of drugs and disinfectants and, of course, nutrition). Environmental factors are those on which it is possible to act actively both to prevent alterations by adopting correct lifestyles and in the case of dysbiosis (through personalized therapeutic plans).
An example for all: in 2016 was published – indicates the note – a report relating to 5 clinical studies carried out on a sample of volunteers subjected to treatment with probiotics; these studies found that “overall, probiotics reduced the risk of developing depression in healthy people and relieved symptoms of depression in affected subjects”. These are the main issues that – with the involvement of experts and with the unconditional contribution of TomaLab – will be addressed at the Artemisia Academy conference.
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