The Gut Truth About How Your Microbiome Affects Your Depression
Antibiotics show that the microbiome matters. Finding a cure might be harder.
This article is part of a Wise & Well Special Report: The United States of Depression.
Our gut microbiome, the trillions of diverse bacteria that live inside our small and large intestine, is innately connected to our brain. These bacteria don’t just feed on the food we eat; they produce a wide range of hormones and signals that affect health and behavior.
The food we choose to eat helps shape our microbiome. The right diet might offer a protective effect against depression. Conversely, when we take antibiotics, we sometimes see depression as a side effect, illustrating the power of the gut-mind connection. When we take an antibiotic, we temporarily kill the vast majority of our gut microbiome. Antibiotics kill all bacteria, friend and foe alike.
We can’t give up antibiotics; they’ve saved billions of lives. But to provide a better solution, we need to understand how the right gut microbiome, with the right diet, prevents depression in the first place.
Part of the problem is that most studies simply aren’t looking with enough detail to find that answer.
