Resilience, or the ability to bounce back from adversity, isn't just a mental trait. New research from UCLA Health suggests it's closely linked to both brain activity and the thriving ecosystem in your gut, the microbiome.
The gut-brain-resilience connection
Scientists have long known about the complex connection between the gut and the brain, also known as the “gut-brain axis.” This two-way communication system involves a complex interplay of nerves, hormones, and immune cells.
But what about resilience? Is a key component of resilience – our ability to cope with stress – influenced by our gut microbiome? That's the question a team of UCLA Health researchers set out to answer.
The recovering brain
In a recent study, researchers surveyed 116 people about their resilience, examining factors such as trusting one's intuition and embracing change, and also subjected them to MRI scans to analyze brain activity and took stool samples to assess the composition of their gut microbiome.
“If we can identify what a healthy, resilient brain and microbiome looks like, we can develop interventions that target those areas to reduce stress,” said Dr. Alpana Gupta, lead author of the study and co-director of the UCLA Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center.
The results were intriguing: people with higher resilience scores showed unique patterns of brain activity, with greater activity in areas related to emotion regulation and cognition.
In essence, resilient people seem to be better able to put the brakes on their emotional responses to stress, preventing them from spiraling into anxiety and making the worst happen.
“But what we found in our study was that highly resilient people were better at regulating their emotions, less likely to dwell on negative thoughts, and more likely to stay calm,” said Desiree Delgadillo, one of the study's lead authors.
The Resilient Gut: A Thriving Ecosystem
And that wasn't the only surprise: The researchers found that the gut microbiome of the more resilient people was also different.
Highly resilient people had microbiomes that produced brain metabolites and showed gene activity associated with low inflammation and a strong, healthy gut barrier.
The intestinal barrier is a layer of cells that lines the inside of the intestine and acts as a gatekeeper controlling what enters the body through the intestines. When the intestinal barrier becomes weak, known as “leaky gut,” it can lead to a variety of health problems, including inflammation and impaired nutrient absorption.
The fact that a strong intestinal barrier is associated with increased resilience is an important finding, suggesting that this important property has systemic relevance.
Resilience: A Systemic Phenomenon
“Resilience is truly a systemic phenomenon, affecting not only the brain but also the microbiome and the metabolites it produces,” Dr Gupta said.
These findings open up entirely new avenues for understanding and potentially enhancing the connection between resilience and the gut and brain.
“There are many microbial populations in our gut that have therapeutic effects and release biochemicals, and we hope to explore this further,” said postdoctoral researcher Delgadillo, who is excited about the future of this research.
“Next, the team plans to explore this relationship in more depth to see whether interventions aimed at promoting resilience can actually alter the activity of the brain and gut microbiome. If so, new therapies targeting both the brain and gut could potentially be developed to prevent diseases associated with chronic stress.”
“We may be able to develop treatments that target both the brain and the gut, and in the future, prevent disease,” Gupta said.
Resilience is more than meets the eye
This study broadens the definition of resilience beyond psychological factors and identifies important physiological components related to gut health.
This study shows that resilience is a multifaceted trait influenced by both emotion regulatory processes in the brain and the composition and activity of the gut microbiota.
Although the exact mechanisms underlying this gut-brain-resilience connection remain to be fully elucidated, the findings offer promising implications for the development of novel interventions to enhance resilience.
By focusing on strategies that promote both mental health and gut microbiome health, individuals may be able to develop greater resilience and deal more effectively with stress and adversity.
This holistic approach to resilience recognises the interconnectedness of the mind and body and emphasises the importance of addressing both mental and physical health to achieve optimal well-being and adaptability in the face of life's challenges.
The study is published in the journal Nature Mental Health.
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