Following a Mediterranean diet could help relieve or prevent symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new American study.
- People who follow a Mediterranean diet show a reduction in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the study.
- Analyzes seem to indicate that the bacteria Eubacterium eligens, very present in people eating vegetables and fruits, has a protective effect against PTSD.
- The link discovered between post-traumatic stress disorder, the microbiota and the Mediterranean diet could help improve recommendations made to patients.
“There is a very intriguing relationship between the human gut microbiome and the brain”explain Pr Yang-Yu Liu du Brigham and Women’s Hospital in a press release published after the publication of its work in the journal Nature Mental Health. With his Harvard colleagues TH Chan, he sought to determine how factors, such as diet, can influence the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)a mental health problem that develops in some people who experience a frightening and horrific situation involving violence, serious injury or the threat of death such as an attack or accident.
Post-traumatic stress: the Mediterranean diet reduces disorders
To evaluate the link between post-traumatic stress disorder, diet and the microbiota, researchers recruited 191 people who were divided into three distinct groups. The first group was made up of participants with probable post-traumatic stress disorder, the second was made up of individuals who had been exposed to trauma but did not present any psychological disorder, and the last included volunteers who had never been exposed to a trauma. Participants had to give four stool samples twice: once at the start of the study and again six months later, to examine changes in their gut microbiome over time.
Stool analyzes revealed that individuals who followed a Mediterranean diet had fewer symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder compared to those who ate another diet. Additionally, researchers observed that high consumption of red and processed meats was associated with increased symptoms of PTSDwhile plant-based menus were associated with a reduction in disorders.
“It is exciting that our results imply that the Mediterranean diet may provide potential relief to people suffering from symptoms of PTSD“adds Yang-Yu Liu in the communicated.
Microbiota: Eubacterium eligens protective bacteria for PTSD?
One of the most interesting discoveries of this study is the identification of a bacterial species, Eubacterium eligenswhich could have a protective effect against post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using a specific method called microbe-phenotype triangulation method to spot potentially protective bacteria, scientists found thatEubacterium eligens was positively associated with key products of the Mediterranean diet such as vegetables, fruits and fish. On the other hand, it became less present when consuming red and processed meat, a food that fans of Mediterranean cuisine limit or avoid.
For researchers, their results offer valuable information “for future studies examining other mental health disorders and dietary interventions to improve recommendations for symptom relief or prevention.”
