Gut Bacteria Population, Diversity Linked to Anorexia Nervosa

Gut Bacteria Population, Diversity Linked to Anorexia Nervosa
The health of the gut and the state of the mind are intimately connected. KatarzynaBialasiewicz/iStock
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Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine found that people with anorexia nervosa have very different microbial communities residing inside their guts compared to healthy individuals and that this bacterial imbalance is associated with some of the psychological symptoms related to the eating disorder.

The findings, published recently in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, provide more evidence that the abundance and diversity of the gut microbiotathe trillions of bacteria that affect digestive health and immunitycould also affect the so-called gut–brain axis. This research suggests that gut bacteria could play a prominent role in the debilitating symptoms of anorexia nervosa, a serious eating disorder that affects more than 3 million Americans and has the highest mortality rate of any psychological disorder.

“Other studies have linked gut bacteria to weight regulation and behavior,” said Ian Carroll, Ph.D., senior author of the paper and assistant professor of medicine in the UNC Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease. “Since people with anorexia nervosa exhibit extreme weight dysregulation, we decided to study this relationship further.”

Cultivating a healthy microbiota could serve as a therapeutic route to help people with anorexia nervosa. (Graphic: Max Englund, UNC School of Medicine)
Cultivating a healthy microbiota could serve as a therapeutic route to help people with anorexia nervosa. Graphic: Max Englund, UNC School of Medicine
Mark Derewicz
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