For a lighter-still take on the gut-brain connection, Radiolab had a segment a couple of years ago on the vagus nerve (mentioned as a possible culprit in the linked article/study): http://www.radiolab.org/story/197242-gut-feelings/
If anyone knows a legal way around the paywall, I'd love to hear about it. I wonder if they go into detail about probiotics that are actually "proven" to reduce fat or improve mood, among other things. Also, did they actually demonstrate a correlation between gut bacteria and mood/cravings, or do they merely discuss "possible" ways such a connection might exist?
> If anyone knows a legal way around the paywall....
That's why I linked to the Atlantic article and not to the (paywalled) journal article.
BTW, the title I originally used (per HN rules) was the actual title of the Atlantic article, namely Your gut bacteria want you to eat a cupcake. The mods changed it to the Atlantic posting's subtitle, which is certainly more informative.
On a related topic, is there a reasonably priced option to actually get access to all of these journals (instead of subscribing to a single one or buying individual articles) .
Something like Factiva or EbscoHost, etc - but offering individual subscriptions (and not limited to just a single journal/publisher).
It's amazing how important organisms that live in our intestines (and other parts of our body) are to our health, mood, immune system, and even our offspring.
So I still don't buy it. It seems to me that someone who eats a lot of a certain type of food would naturally increase the type of bacteria that thrive on that type of food. I dont eat a lot of Thai food, not because I dont enjoy the flavor, but because my gut bacteria seems to want to cast it out in as painful a manner as possible. I bet if I were to eat Thai food every day for a year, things would change and my guts flora would reflect that. Bacteria cant think for you...
If you accept the proposition that it's possible for a microbe to secrete a protein or something into the bloodstream that causes you to prefer a certain type of food (and keep in mind that we already have evidence of biologically-driven food cravings, e.g. in pregnant women), then there's a good argument that evolutionary pressure would eventually cause gut flora that could help deliver its own preferred food source to predominate in human digestive systems.
The article says that the microbiome can be different for people with identical diets, and the people will have different cravings. Just because some bacteria thrive on certain food doesn't mean they will make you crave that food.
You might have some allergy or food intolerance to a common ingredient. Then directed selection of your gut biome won't help.
(I love Thai food myself, but it is a bit dangerous to even go into restaurant, since I'm really allergic to nuts and peanuts. I can't even be in the same room as peanuts.)
[+] [-] johndavi|11 years ago|reply
For a good overview of how much there is still to uncover, see the 2012 New Yorker article "Germs Are Us": http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/22/germs-are-us
For a lighter-still take on the gut-brain connection, Radiolab had a segment a couple of years ago on the vagus nerve (mentioned as a possible culprit in the linked article/study): http://www.radiolab.org/story/197242-gut-feelings/
Emily Deans routinely blogs about the gut-brain connection: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/...
[+] [-] charlieflowers|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dctoedt|11 years ago|reply
That's why I linked to the Atlantic article and not to the (paywalled) journal article.
BTW, the title I originally used (per HN rules) was the actual title of the Atlantic article, namely Your gut bacteria want you to eat a cupcake. The mods changed it to the Atlantic posting's subtitle, which is certainly more informative.
[+] [-] eugeneyev|11 years ago|reply
Something like Factiva or EbscoHost, etc - but offering individual subscriptions (and not limited to just a single journal/publisher).
[+] [-] charlieflowers|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tdonia|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dm2|11 years ago|reply
Related:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Microbiome_Project
http://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/overview
[+] [-] S_A_P|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mpyne|11 years ago|reply
If you accept the proposition that it's possible for a microbe to secrete a protein or something into the bloodstream that causes you to prefer a certain type of food (and keep in mind that we already have evidence of biologically-driven food cravings, e.g. in pregnant women), then there's a good argument that evolutionary pressure would eventually cause gut flora that could help deliver its own preferred food source to predominate in human digestive systems.
[+] [-] sp332|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|11 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] unknown|11 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] stephenr|11 years ago|reply
In either case, I can't work out how specifically thai food would make you do either consistently.
[+] [-] BugBrother|11 years ago|reply
You might have some allergy or food intolerance to a common ingredient. Then directed selection of your gut biome won't help.
(I love Thai food myself, but it is a bit dangerous to even go into restaurant, since I'm really allergic to nuts and peanuts. I can't even be in the same room as peanuts.)