THE INTRINSIC RELATION OF INTESTINAL MICROBIOTA TO MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

The gut-brain axis is defined as a communication between the central nervous system (CNS) and the enteric environment of the gut. The human microbiota, in addition to interfering with intestinal health, also play an important role in the CNS and can influence disorders such as depression and anxiety. The study aimed to analyze the relationship between microbiota and mental health. A search was performed on the PubMed and DOAJ platforms using the descriptors: “gut-brain axis”, “depression”, “anxiety”, “microbiota”, “stress”. A total of 25 articles were included after applying the inclusion criteria: original articles with experimental or observational design from 2011 to 2021; English or Portuguese language. Articles that did not work on the interaction of the microbiota with mental disorders and duplicate articles were discarded. It was observed that the gut-brain axis represents an important link between intestinal health and psychological well-being and that dysbiosis can interfere with an individual's mental and physical health. In conclusion, it was possible to notice an important relationship between the intestinal microbiota and the pathophysiology of these diseases and that the ingestion of probiotics has great potential for treatment.