The intestinal lining of a mouse, with several bacteria (green) and one red blood cell (red)
IKELOS GmbH/Dr. Christopher B. Jackson/Science Photo Library
The brain appears to directly influence the gut microbiomeas brain signals altered the composition of gut microbes in mice in as little as 2 hours. The finding strengthens the notion that communication along the gut-brain axis goes both ways.
It is clear from previous studies that gut microbes can influence brain function and moodbut whether the opposite was true – that…