Abstract
Anxiety and eating disorders produce a physiological imbalance that triggers alterations in the abundance and composition of gut microbiota. Moreover, the gut–brain axis can be altered by several factors such as diet, lifestyle, infections, and antibiotic treatment. Diet alterations generate gut dysbiosis, which affects immune system responses, inflammation mechanisms, the intestinal permeability, as well as the production of short chain fatty acids and neurotransmitters by gut microbiota, which are essential to the correct function of neurological processes. Recent studies indicated that patients with generalized anxiety or eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorders) show a specific profile of gut microbiota, and this imbalance can be partially restored after a single or multi-strain probiotic supplementation. Following the PRISMA methodology, the current review addresses the main microbial signatures observed in patients with generalized anxiety and/or eating disorders as well as the importance of probiotics as a preventive or a therapeutic tool in these pathologies.
Highlights
The interest in mental health has increased in recent years
The etiology of anxiety has traditionally been focused on genetic factors, evidences indicate that the gut microbiota and its metabolites are closely linked to the host’s central nervous system though a bidirectional communication
Recent studies showed that prenatal stress in mice is related to alterations in the microbiome, cytokines levels, and reduction of the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the offspring, suggesting a link between the microbiome at early stages and adult behavioral changes [28]
Summary
The interest in mental health has increased in recent years. Anxiety and mood disorders are associated with many disabilities and individual suffering. The overall prevalence of anxiety ranges from 5% to 30%, and of mood disorders from 5% to 15% [1,2]. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased these percentages, as demonstrated by a recent meta-analysis conducted in the general population and in healthcare workers, showing a prevalence for anxiety of 30% and 23.2%, respectively [3,4]. There is a close relationship between eating disorders (EDs) and anxiety. The most prevalent EDs are anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED), with a lifetime prevalence of 0.48%, 0.51%, and 1.12%, respectively.
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