Emerging evidence suggests that Parkinson’s disease may actually begin in the gut. A protein, alpha-synuclein possibly accumulates in the intestine and may then travel from the gut to the brain via the vagus nerve, leading to neurodegeneration.
There is emerging evidence, although not very strong at the moment, that Alzheimer’s disease and certain other disorders like Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and even epilepsy and schizophrenia may potentially have their origin in the gut because of dysbiosis (alteration in the gut microbiota).
Certain gut bacteria are linked to the production of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein that supports brain health and promotes resilience against mental disorders like depression.
Gut microbiota are a diverse population of bacteria, certain viruses and fungi. When this diversity for some reason becomes less, BDNF levels decrease, potentially increasing vulnerability to mental health issues.
Scientists now understand that each person’s unique collection of traits are actually the result of complex interactions between human and microbiota processes.
The effectiveness of Probiotics and prebiotics in treating anxiety and depression, at least in some patients, points towards dysbiosis as one of the potential causative factors of such maladies.
It must, however, be borne in mind that the gut connection is only one of the potential factors in the multifactorial causation of such diseases.