New research by scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine , suggests that people with anorexia nervosa have very different gut microbial communities than those healthy people and that this affects both physically and psychologically those affected .
Anorexia nervosa has the highest death rate for mental health problems. The study suggests that a bacterial imbalance could be related to some of its more obvious and serious symptoms. “Other studies had already linked the bacteria in the gut to the regulation of weight and behavior, given that people with anorexia nervosa have extreme weight dysregulation, we decided to study this relationship further ,” explains Ian Carroll, leader of the study.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers collected fecal samples from 16 women with anorexia nervosa at the time of their admission to the University of North Carolina Center for Eating Disorders and subsequently after discharge, once their weight was restored. normal. The experts analyzed the composition and diversity of the patients’ gut microbiota from these fecal samples . Likewise, a control group of 12 healthy individuals also provided fecal samples that were also analyzed in order to compare both tests.
The results revealed that the first samples from women with anorexia had less bacterial diversity compared to healthy individuals ; What was surprising was that the discharge samples were still significantly less diverse in gut bacteria than in healthy individuals.
As patients gained weight and microbial communities increased, their mood improved, so the researchers suggest that there is an important link between the two and that cultivating a healthy microbiota could be used in therapy for diseases. people with anorexia nervosa.
“ We are not able to expose that an intestinal bacterial imbalance causes the symptoms of anorexia nervosa, including associated symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, but the severe limitation of nutritional intake at the center of anorexia nervosa could change the composition of the intestinal microbiota. These changes could contribute to anxiety, depression, and greater weight loss in people with this disorder. It’s a vicious circle, and we want to see if we can help patients avoid or reverse this phenomenon, ”Carroll clarifies.
