The following is a summary of the “Gastrointestinal symptoms, gut microbiome, probiotics and prebiotics in anorexia nervosa: A review of mechanistic rationale and clinical evidence,” published in the January 2023 issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology by Dhopatkar, et al.
A major player in psychiatric disorders may be the gut microbiota, as researchers recently discovered. The gut microbiota may play a role in the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) and the gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms commonly experienced by those with AN. The potential role of gut microbiota in AN is discussed, including the microbiota’s possible modulation of the immune system, the gut-brain axis, and gastrointestinal function.
They looked at research that compared gut microbiota in AN with healthy controls and research that looked at how gut microbiota changed in response to nutritional intervention. Energy and dietary changes may affect gut microbiota and play a role in developing AN’s changing gut microbial picture. The gut microbiota composition before illness has also been linked to an increased or decreased likelihood of developing AN. Commonalities have been observed between AN and other gastrointestinal disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease and functional gastrointestinal disorders, regarding gut microbial composition, interaction mechanisms, and gastrointestinal symptoms.
There is some evidence that probiotics and prebiotics can help treat these conditions, according to the research done on them. Depression and anxiety are common in AN, and there is some evidence that probiotics can help alleviate these symptoms. Furthermore, preliminary research on their use in AN has shown that probiotics have a positive effect on immune modulation. In light of these results, we discuss the therapeutic potential of probiotics for reducing AN symptoms..
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453022003006