There may be a connection between the bacteria in one’s gut and the risk of developing schizophrenia.
A new study in the journal “Science Advances” looked for differences between the gut bacteria of 53 schizophrenic patients and 69 healthy control subjects. The researchers found 56 groups of bacteria that were unique to the schizophrenic patients, and 64 groups that were absent in those with schizophrenia. Additionally, the schizophrenic patients exhibited an overall decrease in diversity of the bacteria.
Conclusions
Many mental disorders, including schizophrenia, are influenced by bacteria and proper functioning of the digestive tract.
References
Zheng, P., Zeng, B., Liu, M., Chen, J., Pan, J., Han, Y., … & Zhou, X. (2019). The gut microbiome from patients with schizophrenia modulates the glutamate-glutamine-GABA cycle and schizophrenia-relevant behaviors in mice. Science advances, 5(2), eaau8317.