The Impacts of Gut Flora on Autism

The saying goes, "We are what we eat."

Does that mean that our choice of food impacts our personality, or does it point to a more insidious meaning that what we actually consume affects the person we become?

It is commonly assumed that much like mitochondria, the brain is the leader of the body. It controls our muscles to make us move, our nerves to make us feel, our hormones to make us cry. It tells each of the bodily systems what to do, and how to act. However, have you ever considered that our systems can actually communicate with the brain, and give the brain instructions as well? This notion of top-down communication from the brain is ingrained in many minds, however recent studies have shown that there is actually bi-directional communication between the gut and the brain. This so-called "gut-brain axis" allows the gut to control the brain by regulating the level of neurotransmitters that are digested and absorbed in the bloodstream. For example, elevated stress levels are directly associated with an increase in cortisol levels, but which bodily system is in charge of breaking down that cortisol? That's right, the digestive system. A dysfunctioning digestive system can be responsible for reducing amounts of neurotransmitter bloodstream absorption causing changes in emotion. These dysfunctions are usually connected to an imbalance of gut flora. The gut contains a lawn of bacteria commonly referred to as gut flora, and missing certain species of bacteria can lead to stomach discomfort and altered gut function.

So what does gut flora have to do with Autism? While it seems like a stretch, some of the most common symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder are related to the digestive system such as unoptimal digestion or irritable bowel syndrome. While the exact biological causes of Autism are not identified yet, Autism mainly affects childrens' cognitive and social behavior which points to a neurophysiological basis. Therefore, the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain probably has somewhat of an impact on autism severity. And what regulates neurotransmitters? Yup, the gut. Further, several studies have shown that when autistic children were given pills to stabilize their gut flora, there was a significant long-term decrease in autistic severity. This conclusion points to a significant affect of gut flora on autism, and looking at the bigger picture, brain activity. 

So next time you decide to get that ice-cream, might want to second guess or you might get a brain freeze.

To learn more about this subject, feel free to email me or check out this cool journal paper https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4362231/