In the US, 50% of men and 60% of women go through a traumatic event in their lifetime. Among them, about 7-8% experience PTSD. What experts have been wondering is, why do some people develop PTSD while others don’t?
Most of the studies surrounding the effects of trauma have focused on the brain.
But there’s another body region that may play just as pivotal a role, the gastrointestinal tract. Where trauma is concerned, gut bacteria in the microbiome may play an important role in whether one develops PTSD or not. That’s according to a new study by researchers at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and colleagues at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Their results were published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.Previous research has shown that other factors, besides experiencing a life-threatening trauma, contribute to the development of PTSD. These are negative childhood experiences, genetic makeup, and current living conditions. What researchers wanted to know is, whether or not chronic inflammation in the body might play a role.
Trillions of different kinds of bacteria inhabit our gut, some helpful, others harmful, and others still neutral. In recent years, medical science has discovered that colonies of helpful gut flora contribute to a variety of crucial processes such as those having to do with the immune system, metabolism, digestion, and even brain chemistry. These bacteria help us to metabolize food and drugs, fight off infection, and even produce hormones and neurotransmitters to help us keep emotionally balanced.
Artist’s rendition of bacterial colonies in the microbiome. Credit: geralt, Pixababy.
Scientists in recent years have found that gut bacteria also play a role in…
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