Useful bacteria appear in human intestine at an early age, and if this process for some reason is violated, the process of serotonin production can be hindered.
The ‘happy hormone’ serotonin is involved in regulating mood and emotions. Its level changes during stress and depression. Researchers at the National University of Ireland held a series of experiments with mice. As a result, they proved that if young rodents do not have these bacteria, it significantly affects the concentration of serotonin in the brain of adult rodents (for the purity of the experiment the mice were completely deprived of the intestinal microflora). Moreover, this pattern was observed more frequently with female mice. Adding useful bacteria to the intestines of adult rodents had no effect on the overall picture.
The Irish researchers believe that their experiments with mice show how parents can harm their baby’s future health at a very early age – because of an unbalanced diet, uncontrolled use of antibiotics, infections that change the composition of intestinal microflora. The scientists emphasize that useful bacteria are part of the intestinal microflora; they affect not only the functioning of the brain, but also the entire human body.
