Microbiome is Key to Fighting Depression

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mental health issues, especially those related to depressive disorders, have increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic and with hopes for shining light on a new approach to combating these issues, renowned Microbiome Scientist, Mahmoud Ghannoum, PhD., FAAM, FIDSA shares findings for rebalancing the microbiome to treat depression in a groundbreaking peer-reviewed article, "A Microbiome-Driven Approach to Combating Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic" in Frontiers of Nutrition.

Prescriptions for anti-anxiety medication have increased by 34%, antidepressant prescriptions by 18.6% and common anti-insomnia drugs by 14.8%, according to the latest research. Moreover, clinical trials show between 30-40% of depressed patients do not respond to their first-line antidepressant treatment, with 70% never achieving complete remission of symptoms.

Key findings from this article include:

• The potential for predicting depressive tendencies based on microbiome health.
• A link exists between microbiome health and depression during COVID, specifically, a decline in microbiome health exacerbates the tendency towards depression.
• Specific changes in diet and lifestyle can positively impact the microbiome, thus reducing the likelihood of depression.

"The current evidence suggests at least part of the answer to a better understanding and management of depression may lie within the microbiome," says Dr. Ghannoum.

The article examines the gut-brain axis and the impact our microbiota, the communities of bacteria and fungi that live in our gut, has on our brain and emotions. Several studies cited indicate a significant connection between the microbiome and mental health. By comparing data from numerous studies and through several key findings and clinical research, Dr. Ghannoum concludes that diet modification, nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes can drastically reduce levels of depression.

To curb symptoms, Dr. Ghannoum proposes the Total Gut Balance Diet (TGB), which limits patients' intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates and suggests potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant rich foods containing vitamins, minerals and other beneficial constituents. A clinical trial of 10 people found that the TGB diet rebalances the microbiome. Additionally, regular supplementation of probiotics, exercise, sleep and stress management can help rebalance the microbiome as well.

Dr. Ghannoum, in his article, offers medical professionals evidence and hope to combat the spectre of mental illness experienced by their patients.

About Mahmoud Ghannoum, PhD: Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum is the Director of the Integrated Microbiome Core and the Center for Medical Mycology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. He has been called the leading microbiome researcher in the world; by The Washington Post, and has published over 450 papers on his research on how bacteria and fungi impact our health. His work has been cited over 38,000 times in the scientific literature, and he is the scientist that named the mycobiome, the fungal community in the body. In addition to his research, Dr. Ghannoum is the founder of BIOHM, the first company to create probiotics and microbiome tests that address bacteria and fungi in the gut. He is also the founder of DrMicrobiome.com where his team offers personalized coaching programs for optimizing our microbiome. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ghannoum, MA, Ford M, Bonomo RA, Gamal A, and McCorrick TS (2021). A Microbiome-Driven Approach to Combating Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Frontier of Nutrition;8:672390

SOURCE Mahmoud Ghannoum, PhD