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A new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh suggests that the gut microbiome may trigger behaviors to seek out foods that contain certain nutrients.
The authors of the research believe that gut bacteria could affect our food choices and appetites by influencing the availability of essential amino acids.
So the decisions we make about what we feel the need to eat may not just come from the brain, according to Medicalnewstoday. The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
What Desires Influence Gut Microbes
The human microbiome is made up of communities of bacteria, viruses, and fungi with a greater complexity than the human genome itself. For decades, scientists have wondered whether gut flora determines food needs. However, no one has ever directly tested this hypothesis in animals.
Dr. Kevin Kohl and Dr. Brian Trevelline of the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, explored this possibility with germ-free mice. The two gave 30 mice that had no gut microbes a cocktail of microorganisms from three species of wild rodents with very different natural diets. They found that mice in each group chose foods rich in different nutrients, demonstrating that their microbiome changed their preferred diet.
Their research showed that mice given various types of microbiota voluntarily changed their food preferences. “Our work shows that animals with different compositions of gut microbes choose different types of diets,” said Dr. Kohl.
What Desires Influence Gut Microbes. Microbes and amino acids
Dr Trevelline explained how microbes play a role in nutrient production. “Animals need a suite of essential amino acids to survive. But the microbes that live inside our guts have to grow and have some of these nutrients or produce nutrients that the human body or the animal body can recognize. For example, they make these essential amino acids and then they are released into the gut where they can be absorbed by the host,” he said.
Dr. Trevelline also said that the microbes in the gut contributed beneficially to a lot of processes, especially by synthesizing the nutrients that humans need and supplementing our diet. “Some of these molecules can enter the host’s bloodstream and affect its behavior,” he added.
The role of tryptophan
Tryptophan, one of the 8 essential amino acids, is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin. Scientists believe this hormone may regulate diet choice.
Dr. Trevelline and Kohl found that mice with different microbiota also had different levels of tryptophan in their blood before choosing different foods. The mice with more tryptophan also had more microbes that could make the amino acid in their guts.
Tryptophan is just one of many chemical messengers that communicate with the gut and brain. This experiment shows how tryptophan could directly affect everyday eating behavior.
As interesting as the results are, it may be too early to blame gut flora for all food cravings.
This research suggests only one aspect of how microbes may interact with animal hosts, without comparing the influence of microbes.
Source: www.doctorulzilei.ro
