It turns out, having a healthy gut can make you “fear less”

A study led by Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City has shown that a healthy gut can make you “fear less” by extinguishing your fear memories. In an article published in the journal Nature, the researchers detailed how they used mice to explore the ability to unlearn fear responses.

Exploring the gut’s role in fear response

It has become increasingly evident that gut bacteria play an important role in brain health. Previous studies showed that disruption to these microbial communities is linked to behavioral changes and certain autoimmune and psychiatric disorders.

For example, a recent study showed that a certain combination of gut bacteria exacerbates symptoms of multiple sclerosis, a brain and nerve disease. In another study, researchers found that children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, later in life.

But though these investigations were able to confirm the existence of a gut-brain axis, the mechanisms that underpin this axis remained unclear.

“No one yet has understood how IBD and other chronic gastrointestinal conditions influence behavior and mental health,” said co-senior study author David Artis, a professor of immunology and director of IBD research at Weill Cornell.

For their study, the researchers focused on how well mice would learn and forget a fear trigger using an experiment called “fear conditioning and extinction learning.” In this experiment, the mice are conditioned to associate a threat with the sound of a tone, so that the tone by itself can elicit the same fear response as the threat.

The mice tended to forget the association after repeated exposure to the tone, as their brains adjusted to the fact that the threat no longer exists. But the mice whose guts were germ-free from birth or whose gut microbes were vastly reduced, showed a significant reduction in their ability to learn that the threat was no longer present. This means that their brains were not updating to the new conditions.

Mechanism behind gut’s effect on fear memories

The researchers launched a genetic investigation of the mice’s microglia to probe the molecular mechanism behind the effect. Microglia are immune cells in the brain that help stimulate and prune the connections between nerve cells to remodel brain circuits. After looking into the gene expression in the mice’s medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) – a region of the brain crucial for extinction learning – the researchers found that the absence of gut microbes altered the gene expression of microglia in the mPFC. This disrupted the formation of new nerve cells and eliminated neural connections during learning and forgetting. (Related: Is depression just a symptom of bad gut health? Study confirms link between gut and brain health.)

The team also found significant changes in the brain chemicals of the germ-free mice, including altered levels of molecules that play a role in psychiatric conditions like autism and schizophrenia. When the researchers restored gut bacteria in the germ-free mice, they found that it was possible for these mice to unlearn a conditioned fear response only if their gut bacteria were restored soon after birth.

This finding is an important one, as many psychiatric disorders linked to autoimmunity are also associated with problems that occur in the early stages of brain development. The researchers are optimistic that with further studies, their findings will eventually lead to new treatment targets.

“We are beginning to understand more about how the gut influences diseases as diverse as autism, Parkinson’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.” said Artis.

Learn more about the importance of a healthy gut at Digestion.news.

Virgilio Marin

Sources include:

MedicalNewsToday.com

ScienceDaily.com

Healio.com

Published by dreddymd

Dr Eddy Bettermann MD focus on Biological Medicine (Biologische Medizin) #Biological #Medicine #videos http://bit.ly/2LF3Ro3, Darkfield Microscopy (Dunkelfeld Mikroskopie), Orthomolecular Medicine (Orthomolekulare Medizin), Ayurvedic Medicine (Ayurveda), Psychosomatic Medicine (Psychosomatische Medizin), raw food (Rohkost), fasting (Fasten): Our primary integrative medicine goal is the maintenance of your health and wellness, and we are committed to safe and effective healthcare. Our specialties include online integrative medicine education by alternative doctor: food and allergy management through the use of Integrative medical therapy, Environmental Medicine, General Family Medicine, Ayurveda, Panchakarma, Chronic Fatigue, ADHD, autism, Fibromyalgia, Yeast/Fungus related diseases – Candidacies, mercury dental replacement and detoxification, Natural Thyroid Replacement, Weight loss, Lyme Disease, Irritable Bowel Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Addiction related programs, Intestinal Dysbiosis, as well as trigger point therapy using Neural Therapy. Dr. Eddy Bettermann MD, physician from Germany, consultant and teacher in biological medicine, especially dark field microscopy known as Live Blood Analysis in Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines. But he lecture also in the USA, Canada and the U.A.E. He speaks english and german. https://dreddymd.com/2017/01/17/the-interactive-live-blood-cd-and-the-certified-training-live-blood-analysis-online-course/ https://dreddymd.com/courses/ https://dreddymd.com/2017/01/17/live-blood-microscopy-analysis-darkfield-course/ “Let thy Food be thy Medicine and thy Medicine be thy Food.” — Hippocrates Physician Member of the Medical Board at AOX Singapore, Medical Doctor at Nurse Mobile Clinic and Physician at DrEddy Clinic Our Mission: The mission of the Integrative Medicine is to search for the most effective treatments for patients by combining both conventional and alternative approaches that address all aspects of health and wellness – biological, psychological, social and spiritual. Biological Medicine is a big part of my work and so is Dark field Microscopy, what I use in my daily practice and what I teach more then 15 years in Asia and around the world: Live Blood Analysis in dark field based on Haematology. We utilize Live blood analysis since 2004, conventional as well as specialty laboratories for a thorough diagnostic work up of the disease in question. Our integrative medicine treatment regimens are especially unique and are tailored specifically to the individual needs of each patient. Our Mission: don’t harm, prevent, use food as medicine We are a reliable partner for integrative medicine in Medical Spa & Clinic Development and integrative medicine Education Training for alternative doctors – we bring different holistic approaches, like Integrative Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda Medicine together. On your request we offer our service in your place as well. Heavy metal poisoning Heavy metal poisoning is much more common than most people realize, and if you’re thinking that it doesn’t apply to you because you haven’t been exposed to any, think again. If you’ve eaten fish regularly, had amalgam fillings, received vaccinations, drank contaminated water, or done industrial or agricultural work or pharmaceutical manufacturing, there’s a good chance that you have a fair amount of toxic metals in your system.. We are here to help and to educate! Wishing your health and happiness Dr Eddy Bettermann MD We are affiliated The Wellness Company https://bit.ly/3V726zc The Wellness Company Coupon for membership, supplements, doctor appointment, online consultation https://bit.ly/3V5NsIy DrEddyClinic is affiliate of Amazon and get commission for the products, which we recommend https://www.amazon.com/shop/dreddyclinic , same as GlobalHealing https://dreddymd.com/shop/supplements/ View all posts by dreddymd