Abstract

CHARNECA, Sofia  and  GUERREIRO, Catarina Sousa. MENTAL HEALTH IN PERSPECTIVE - THE ROLE OF NUTRITION AND GUT MICROBIOTA. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2021, n.27, pp.58-62.  Epub Mar 19, 2022. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2021.2710.

Psychiatric disorders are some of the most serious challenges of our time. However, the currently available therapeutic options are often ineffective or carry severe side effects. Lifestyle interventions, which include dietary interventions, are being explored in the field of mental illness and have already been shown to exert beneficial effects. Additionally, there is a known association between psychiatric illness and gastrointestinal disorders, and patients with depression were reported to display an altered gut microbiota composition, when compared to healthy controls. In line with this, the gut microbiota may also be an attractive therapeutic target. Several approaches for its manipulation have already been described, such as dietary interventions, the use of probiotics and/or prebiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation. Thus, this review aims to summarize the importance of food and nutrition in the field of psychiatry, as well as the modulation of the gut microbiota and the use of psychobiotics, which have been recognized as a possible adjuvant therapy for these disorders. Finally, although current evidence in this matter is promising, further investigation is needed in order to translate this knowledge into clinical practice and make scientifically supported recommendations.

Keywords : Gut microbiota; Nutrition; Psychobiotics; Psychiatry.

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