Gut-brain axis

Researchers have uncovered a gut-diet link to postpartum depression, finding that eating a diet of soy, fermented foods, and seaweed may nurture beneficial gut bacteria and protect mothers’ mental health.

When scientists study obesity, it's often focused on genetics, physical activity and poor eating habits. However, new findings show that stress, hardship, isolation and social inequality create the biological environment that underpins the epidemic.

Scientists have found that when the stomach and brain are synced too strongly, it may signal worse mental health, linking anxiety, depression, and stress to an overactive gut-brain connection.

A study of nearly 400,000 people has for the first time found a causal link between gut bacteria and insomnia, confirming that some microbes aid sleep while others disrupt it. Fourteen bacterial taxa were found to contribute to the risk of insomnia.