The Diversity of Gut Bacteria and Psychological Disorders

Abstract

The human body can be considered a superorganism, containing a large number of microorganisms in symbiosis. An average human body contains about a kilogram of bacterial cells, which is about the same weight as the human brain. Majority of these bacteria resides within the gastrointestinal tract, outnumbering human cells and constituting approximately 99% of the genetic material in the human body. Human gut microbiota has been shown to have diverse effects on the host, and recent studies show that their effects extend to mental health. This review aims to understand the recent developments of the effects of gut microbiota community on mental health and potential manipulations of gut microbiota for prevention and mitigation of mental disorders by highlighting the nutritional value of diet, probiotics, prebiotics, and psychobiotics for mental health, modifying gut microbiota by fecal microbiota transplantation and antibiotics. In addition to these, providing the current knowledge on relevant neuroprotective mechanisms in the brain associated with gut microbiota and main gut microbiota modifying ways such as quorum sensing and bacteriophage was reviewed for future recommendation.