Junk Food May Fuel Anxiety
High-fat diets disrupt gut bacteria, alter behavior, and fuel anxiety through complex brain pathways in animals.
High-fat or junk food may be a source of anxiety.
Image credit: Chan Walrus
- A high-fat diet disrupts resident gut bacteria in animals, altering behaviour and influencing brain chemicals in ways that fuel anxiety.
- The study found that a high-fat diet reduces diversity of gut bacteria. It also increased ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (categories of bacteria).
- High-fat diet groups showed higher expression of genes involved in serotonin production and signaling, particularly in the dorsal raphe nucleus, which is associated with stress and anxiety.
- An unhealthy microbiome may compromise the gut lining, enabling bacteria to communicate with the brain via the vagus nerve, contributing to anxiety-like responses.
- The study suggests that an unhealthy diet can have a significant impact on brain chemistry, making it more susceptible to anxiety.