This article was originally submitted for a writing contest held by billionaire Naveen Jain's bio company Viome.
The idiom “you are what you eat” may be based more on reality than you might think. Scientific research is beginning to better understand the connection between bacteria in the digestive system and its impact on the neurological system. Metazoans, such as humans, are significantly affected by gut bacteria (known as microbiota) in critical aspects of our physiology – notably our brain through metabolism and the immune system. The human body contains trillions of microorganisms – outnumbering human cells by 10 to 1 – with many of them being in our gut starting from the esophagus and ending in the colon.
Microbiota regulates the metabolism of humans through generating
a concoction of essential vitamins and other nutrients for the host. Upon
consuming complex carbohydrates, microbiota metabolize the fiber into
short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate. SCFAs
produced in our intestines travel not only into our blood serum but these fatty
acids can also cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). One particular SCFA
–acetate—affects changes in the hypothalamus, altering physiology, which leads
to hormone signals being produced which give a sense of satiety. A small study
with humans has shown that consuming such complex carbohydrates leads to
feeling full.
