Wisdom And Loneliness Could Be Caused By The Microbiome

Did you know that intestinal function has a role in the brain? A complex network known as the gut-brain axis ties intestinal function to your brain’s emotional and cognitive centers. According to science it also appears that wisdom and loneliness could be caused by the microbiome in our gut. Here’s why. 

Loneliness And Microbiome

Your microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi living in your digestive tract.  While several studies have tied the gut-brain axis “communication system” to everything from emotional arousal to our decision-making abilities, the emotional connections don’t end there. They have also found a tie between higher levels of wisdom and lower levels of loneliness when certain elements were more prominent in the microbiota. (1)

Wisdom is related to specific regions found in the brain. Scientists find that those who have great wisdom also enjoy increased satisfaction in life and a sense of happiness. In fact, multiple studies also found wiser people are also less prone to feeling lonely. (1)

Loneliness And Microbiome Relationship

The journal Frontiers in Psychiatry published research findings from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. It relates a connection between wisdom, loneliness, and biology and how they are influenced by a person’s gut microbial diversity. (1)

Alterations to the two-way communication of the gut-brain axis can cause disruptions to how we behave and respond to stress. This includes things such as emotional arousal but can also impact our decision making abilities. (1)

While gut microbiota has often been related to mental health disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder, studies now show wisdom could be biologically based as well. The studies find those with more diverse gut microbiota enjoy larger social networks. (1)

Wisdom, Loneliness And Microbiome Study

The study measured loneliness, wisdom, compassion, social support, and social engagement in the participants, and analyzed their gut microbiota. “We found that lower levels of loneliness and higher levels of wisdom, compassion, social support and engagement were associated with greater phylogenetic richness and diversity of the gut microbiome,” says the study’s first author Tanya T. Nguyen, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine. (1)

While it is unclear what mechanisms of the gut microbiota are possibly linked to loneliness, compassion, and wisdom, what was clear is that reduced microbial diversity was tied to those with worse physical and mental health. (1)

Loneliness And Susceptibility To Disease

“It is possible that loneliness may result in decreased stability of the gut microbiome and, consequently, reduced resistance and resilience to stress-related disruptions, leading to downstream physiological effects, such as systemic inflammation,” the study notes. “Bacterial communities with low alpha-diversity may not manifest overt disease, but they may be less than optimal for preventing disease. Thus, lonely people may be more susceptible to developing different diseases.” (1)

Loneliness And Microbiome In Older Adults

The study also suggests older adults might be more vulnerable to the potential health-related consequences of loneliness. As a result, there is a possibility that with increased social support, compassion, and wisdom the elderly might be protected somewhat from loneliness-related instability of the gut microbiome. It is also possible a healthy, more diverse gut microflora could provide some protection against the negative effects of chronic stress. As a result, it might help people develop improved social behaviors to foster wisdom and/or loneliness. (1)

“Loneliness may lead to changes in the gut microbiome or, reciprocally, alterations of the gut milieu may predispose an individual to become lonely,” says senior author of the paper Dilip V. Jeste, MD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “We need to investigate much more thoroughly to better understand the phenomenon of the gut-brain axis.” (1)

Source:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210325150024.htm