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Gut microbiome, nutrition and mental Health: (Master thesis)

Κόκκαλη, Θεοφανία/ Kokkali, Theofania/ Τρόφιμα, Διατροφή και Μικροβίωμα

This paper examines the relationship between the gut microbiome, diet, and mental health as reflected in experimental studies involving animal models. In recent years, due to rapid advances in scientific research, the gut microbiota has been identified as a key regulator of human health. In addition to its fundamental role in digestion and metabo-lism, the gut microbiome appears to play a decisive role in the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS), influencing behavior, mental health, and cognitive function. Un-derstanding the importance of the gut-brain axis is a dynamic field of study that may contribute to better management of various mental disorders. Diet is one of the most important and modifiable factors influencing the composition and function of the gut microbiome. Various dietary patterns, macronutrients and micro-nutrients, dietary supplements, foods, as well as the consumption of probiotics and prebiotics, appear to shape the gut microbiome and, by extension, mental health. The study of these relationships is particularly important, as it contributes to our understand-ing of the mechanisms linking diet to mental health disorders such as anxiety and de-pression. The findings of the studies presented in this review suggest that changes in the gut mi-crobiota can significantly influence behaviors associated with anxiety and depression, as well as the function of various neurotransmitters. At the same time, the key mechanisms through which the microbiota is able to communicate with the Central Nervous System (CNS) are presented. However, the significant limitations arising from the extrapolation of these findings from animal models to humans are also highlighted. The great complexity of the reactions and interactions between the gut microbiota, diet, and brain function, as well as the high het-erogeneity of the human gut microbiota, makes it difficult to study these processes di-rectly in humans. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of these com-plex mechanisms and highlights the importance of diet and probiotics as a potential therapeutic approach for improving mental health.