GWI
exposures alter the microbiome (i.e., bacterial content in the gut), and the affected microbiota then produce endotoxins, which pass through a thinned lining of the gut (i.e., leaky gut) and into the blood where they circulate throughout the body.
The delicate balance between the human
microbiome and the development of psychopathologies is particularly interesting given the ease with which the
microbiome can be
altered by external factors, such as diet, 23
exposure to antimicrobials24, 25 or disrupted sleep patterns.26 For example, a link between antibiotic
exposure and
altered brain function is well evidenced by the psychiatric side - effects of antibiotics, which range from anxiety and panic to major depression, psychosis and delirium.1 A recent large population study reported that treatment with a single antibiotic course was associated with an increased risk for depression and anxiety, rising with multiple
exposures.27 Bercik et al. 28 showed that oral administration of non-absorbable antimicrobials transiently
altered the composition of the gut microbiota in adult mice and increased exploratory behaviour and hippocampal expression of brain - derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), while intraperitoneal administration had no effect on behaviour.
Our diet, stress levels,
exposure to toxins, and antibiotic use can
alter our
microbiome, causing the bad bacteria to outnumber the good bacteria.