The Neuroscience of Food and Mood

Abstract

Recently, evidence suggests that the gut microbiota may play a key role in development and progression of certain neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions (such as Alzheimer‟s disease (AD), Parkinson‟s disease (PD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), depression and anxiety.The study of the gut microbiota-brain axis has become an intriguing field, attracting attention from both gastroenterologists and neurobiologists. The present study investigated the role of probiotic, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) in modulating host behaviour by the metabolic processes of toxicant and microbes‟ interaction.The hypothesis is to understand the role of gut microbiota in brain physiology and neuronal functioning as well as regulation of the neurobiological mechanisms like neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity supporting the relevance of actions reflecting possible causes of neuronal disorders. The hippocampus is the centre of learning and memory, and plays a pivotal role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD and PD. Previous studies using diet administration, antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, have shown that the structure and function of the hippocampus are affected by the gut microbiota. The findings of present study through laboratory experimentas well asthe literature survey showedthat the gut microbiota is an emerging key regulator of the brain‟s function and behaviour. An increasing number of evidenceshave shownthe importance of bidirectional communication between the intestinal bacteria and the brain. Based on recent findings, the result suggested that the interaction between diet and the gut microbiota, which might ultimately affect the mental health, represents an unprecedented stimulus for conducting new research that links food and mood.Since some specific gut bacteria are positively or negatively correlated to the structure and function of the hippocampus, it is expected that alteration of specific gut bacteria and other microbiota-based interventions could be potentially applied to prevent or treat hippocampus-based memory impairment and neuropsychiatric disorders.