Facts about Gut-Brain Axis
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Germ-free mice raised without gut bacteria show exaggerated HPA-axis stress responses, a 2004 study by Sudo and colleagues found, reversible by colonization with Bifidobacterium infantis.
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A key component of the gut-brain axis is the enteric nervous system, sometimes called the 'second brain,' containing over 100 million neurons lining the gastrointestinal tract.
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Disruption of the gut-brain axis has been linked to psychiatric conditions including anxiety and depression, making gut microbiome research a growing focus in neuroscience.
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Gut microbiota within the gut-brain axis communicate with the brain partly through producing short-chain fatty acids and neurotransmitter precursors that influence behavior and cognition.
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Approximately 90 percent of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut, where it helps regulate intestinal movement and influences mood via the gut-brain axis.
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The gut-brain axis communicates via the vagus nerve, which carries signals bidirectionally between the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system.