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+--- Thread: Can you blame your behavior on your gut microbiome? (/thread-6521.html)
Can you blame your behavior on your gut microbiome? - C C - Dec 17, 2018
https://leapsmag.com/why-you-cant-blame-your-behavior-on-your-gut-microbiome/
EXCERPT: Your behavior [...] comes down to a complex confluence of circumstances, genes, and personality characteristics. And the latest proposed addition to this list is the gut microbiome—the community of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses—that are full-time residents of your digestive tract.
It is entirely plausible that your gut microbiome might influence your behavior, scientists say: a well-known communication channel, called the gut-brain axis, runs both ways between your brain and your digestive tract. [...] John Bienenstock [...] has worked on the gut microbiome-behavior connection for several decades. “There’s a lot of evidence now in animals—particularly in mice,” he says.
[...] Bienenstock also acknowledges the ‘hype’ that appears to surround this particular field of study. Despite the decidedly slow emergence of data linking the microbiome to human behavior, scientific reviews have appeared in brain-related scientific journals [...] Not only this, but popular books and media articles have given the idea wings.
It might be compelling to blame our microbiomes for behaviors we don’t prefer or can’t explain—like reaching for another slice of pizza. But until the scientific observations yield stronger results, we still lack proof that we’re doing what we do—or eating what we eat—exclusively at the behest of our resident microorganisms....
MORE: https://leapsmag.com/why-you-cant-blame-your-behavior-on-your-gut-microbiome/