Tag

Gut Brain Axis

All articles tagged with #gut brain axis

science2 days ago•9 min saved

Gut CNMa Rewires Cravings: Protein Over Sweets

A new study reveals a two-track gut-brain signaling system: gut cells release CNMa in response to protein deficiency, triggering a fast neural alert to the brain and a slower hormonal signal that sustains a protein-seeking appetite while suppressing sugar cravings by dampening DH44 sugar neurons; gut microbes modulate this pathway and the mechanism is conserved in mice, independent of FGF21, suggesting novel targets for obesity and eating disorders.

via Neuroscience News|

#cnma #essential-amino-acids #gut-brain-axis

science4 days ago•13 min saved

Future-Proof Your Brain: Gut Health, Mindful Creativity, and Embracing Change for the AI Era

Neuroscientist Hannah Critchlow argues the brain’s basic structure hasn’t dramatically changed since the Stone Age, but we can cultivate overlooked skills—emotional intelligence, empathy, adaptability, and long‑term thinking—to thrive in the AI era. She highlights bioenergetics (mitochondria) as a foundation, the gut microbiome’s surprising link to altruism, and practical steps: practice self‑compassion, boost gut diversity, engage in daydreaming and nature walks to boost creativity through alpha brain waves, and maintain exercise, sleep, and healthy eating to power mental flexibility and resilience amid rapid change.

via BBC|

#brain-health #creativity #emotional-intelligence

science10 days ago•6 min saved

Coffee's real driver? Gut microbes shaping mood and memory, not caffeine

A May 2026 Nature Communications study from APC Microbiome Ireland found that coffee—caffeinated or decaffeinated—modulates the gut microbiome and downstream brain signals via the gut-brain axis. Decaf coffee improved learning and memory, while caffeinated coffee reduced anxiety and boosted attention; effects persisted only with ongoing coffee consumption and disappeared during abstinence. The results point to polyphenols and other non-caffeine compounds as the cognitive drivers, underscoring that coffee rituals may influence brain health through microbiome-mediated pathways rather than caffeine alone.

via Space Daily|

#coffee #cognition #gut-brain-axis

science19 days ago•6 min saved

Coffee Rewires the Gut-Brain Link, Boosting Mood and Memory, Study Finds

A Nature Communications-backed study from APC Microbiome Ireland (University College Cork) shows habitual coffee consumption reshapes the gut microbiome and influences mood and cognitive function. Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee yielded benefits: decaf users showed improvements in learning and memory, likely due to polyphenols, while caffeinated coffee was linked to reduced anxiety and heightened alertness. In a 62-participant study (31 coffee drinkers vs. 31 non-drinkers) with a two-week coffee withdrawal followed by blinded reintroduction (half decaf, half caffeinated), researchers observed shifts in gut metabolites and the enrichment of bacteria such as Eggertella sp and Cryptobacterium curtum among coffee drinkers, suggesting a microbiota–gut–brain mechanism with potential long-term health implications.

via SciTechDaily|

#coffee #cognition #gut-brain-axis

science22 days ago•6 min saved

Coffee's Hidden Helpers: Regular and Decaf Brew Shape Your Gut and Mood

A Nature Communications study from APC Microbiome Ireland finds regular coffee consumption reshapes the gut microbiome, lowers inflammatory markers, and improves mood, with both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee exerting distinct, caffeine-independent effects; a two-week abstinence altered some responses and reintroduction produced rapid microbiome changes, highlighting coffee’s complex mix of bioactive compounds that influence the gut-brain axis as part of a balanced diet.

via WIRED|

#coffee #gut-brain-axis #gut-microbiome

health-and-medicine23 days ago•6 min saved

Coffee’s hidden gut-brain effects: decaf memory gains, caffeine focus

New research from University College Cork shows caffeinated and decaf coffee rewire the gut microbiome and gut-brain axis, boosting mood and reducing stress. Decaf coffee improved learning and memory, while caffeinated coffee enhanced attention and reduced anxiety; effects point to multiple mechanisms beyond caffeine, including changes in specific gut bacteria and metabolites.

via ScienceDaily|

#caffeine #coffee #cognition

health26 days ago•7 min saved

Gut microbes may foretell Parkinson's years before symptoms

Researchers from UCL analyzed gut microbes in more than 1,400 participants across the UK, Korea, and Turkey and found distinct microbiome patterns linked to Parkinson's risk, including in non-symptomatic GBA1 carriers; a diverse diet correlated with lower risk profiles, but the study is observational and cannot prove causation, though it supports the gut-brain axis as a potential avenue for early detection and treatment.

via Fox News|

#early-detection #gba1 #gut-brain-axis

health27 days ago•12 min saved

Brain Health Is a Lifespan Blueprint: Sleep, Gut, and Social Context Shape Aging

A new American Heart Association scientific statement argues that brain health is built across the entire life span, with external factors such as sleep quality, mental health, the gut microbiome, obesity, and social/environmental conditions strongly influencing the risk of stroke, cognitive decline, and dementia. Early adversity and chronic inflammation can echo into late life, but interventions at any age—like better sleep, stress management, Mediterranean-style eating, physical activity, and robust social connections—can bend the aging curve. The report calls for prevention, early detection, and policies to promote brain health from before birth through adulthood, supported by new research funding initiatives.

via Neuroscience News|

#brain-health #gut-brain-axis #health

health28 days ago•41 min saved

Childhood Trauma Rewires Gut Signaling via New Brain–Gut Pathways

Two Gastroenterology studies link early-life stress and prenatal exposure to serotonin-altering medications with changed gut-brain signaling and increased digestive symptoms. In mice, gut-specific serotonin signaling and the vagus nerve modulate anxiety, pain, and motility, with sex hormones shaping sex-dependent effects; in humans, large datasets show maternal depression and early adversity double the risk of functional GI disorders and GI symptoms in children. While observational, findings highlight potential gut-focused treatments and the importance of supporting maternal mental health to protect gut–brain health in offspring.

via PsyPost|

#childhood-trauma #early-life-stress #gut-brain-axis

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Worm Neurons Decode Bacterial Signals, Revealing a Gut-Brain Communication Code

MIT researchers identify the exact bacterial signals that activate the enteric neuron NSM in C. elegans: specific polysaccharides, including peptidoglycan from gram-positive bacteria, trigger neural activity via acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) to regulate feeding, while the pathogenic pigment prodigiosin can suppress this signaling. The findings map a mechanistic, likely evolutionarily conserved gut-brain communication pathway with potential implications for targeted therapies in humans.

via Neuroscience News|

#asics #c-elegans #gut-brain-axis

health-and-medicine1 month ago•5 min saved

Rethinking Alzheimer’s: A multi-target battle plan

Alzheimer’s is viewed as a complex system driven by amyloid-beta and tau, aging, and systemic health; single-target drugs have limited impact, so researchers are pushing integrated, multi-pronged therapies—combining approaches like gene editing, senolytics, metabolic interventions, and gut-brain axis strategies—guided by early biomarkers and advanced models to slow, halt, or prevent disease progression.

via ScienceDaily|

#aging #alzheimers-disease #gene-therapy

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Cheap Daily Fibers Linked to Memory Gains in Older Adults, Twin Study Says

In a 12-week, double-blind twin study from King's College London, older adults consuming a daily prebiotic blend (inulin or FOS) with protein powder showed improved memory test scores and subtle gut microbiome changes (including more Bifidobacterium) versus their co-twins taking a placebo, with no significant physical benefits observed. The findings support the gut-brain axis as a potential target for aging-related cognitive decline, though larger, longer trials are needed.

via ScienceAlert|

#aging #gut-brain-axis #memory

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Two-Stage Gut Signal Triggers Appetite Loss During Infection

UC San Francisco researchers reveal a two-stage gut signaling pathway: parasite detection by tuft cells releases acetylcholine, which prompts enterochromaffin cells to release serotonin and activate vagal brain signals, leading to delayed appetite suppression as infection takes hold; the finding links gut immune response to behavior and could inform gut disorders like IBS and food intolerances.

via ScienceDaily|

#acetylcholine #appetite-loss #gut-brain-axis

science2 months ago•74 min saved

Parasites spark a two-step gut–brain chat between epithelial cells to curb appetite

New research reveals a two-phase, paracrine dialogue between gut tuft cells and serotonergic enterochromaffin (EC) cells that links parasite detection to brain signaling and feeding behavior. Tuft cells release acetylcholine (ACh) in an acute, parasite-triggered fashion and also a constitutive leak during type 2 inflammation; both modes can activate EC cells, but only sustained ACh release raises serotonin enough to stimulate vagal afferents and suppress food intake. This epithelial crosstalk couples type 2 immune responses with sensory signaling to drive gut–brain communication and protective behaviors during parasitic infections, explaining progression from asymptomatic to symptomatic disease.

via Nature|

#acetylcholine #enterochromaffin-cells #gut-brain-axis

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Alzheimer’s Therapy Urged to Embrace a Multi-Pathway Approach

A new Science China Life Sciences review argues that Alzheimer’s arises from a complex network of factors—amyloid and Tau pathology, genetics, aging, and systemic health—making single-target drugs insufficient. The authors urge a holistic strategy that tackles multiple disease pathways, including Tau and aging-related changes, genetic risk, and gut-brain interactions, while leveraging tools like iPSC-derived organoids, CRISPR, and early biomarkers (e.g., plasma pTau217) to guide precision therapies and possibly delay or prevent progression.

via SciTechDaily|

#aging #alzheimers-disease #dementia