PSYC 155 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Short-Chain Fatty Acid, Enteric Nervous System, Mediterranean Diet
Document Summary
Plays important role in the enteric nervous system, which is connected to the brain through the vagus nerve. Gut microbiome produces serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (gaba) which modulate the endocrine nervous system. Diet, stress, sleep, physical activity all affects gut and microbiome function. Western-style diet is linked to excess anxiety-like behavior in mice. Italians following a mediterranean diet had greater amounts of scfa producing bacteria. Mediterranean diet is high in veggies, low in red meat. The gut microbiome can influence food preferences for altering taste-receptor expression. Germ-free mice had altered taste receptors for fat on their tongues and in their intestines compared to mice with a normal microbiome. Germ free mice preferred more sweets and had greater number of sweet taste receptors compared to normal mice. Males who desire chocolate have different microbial metabolites that the non-chocolate craving males, even when on the same diet. Exercise is known to induce changes in the gut microbiome.
