The microbe-heart-brain dialogue: Vagal activity is associated with gut-microbiome patterns in women

Introduction: A functional reciprocity between the gut microbiome and vagal nerve activity has been suggested, however, human studies addressing this phenomenon are limited. Methods: 24- hour cardiac vagal activity (CVA) was assessed from 73 female participants (aged 24.5±4.3 years). Additionally, stool samples were subjected to 16SrRNA gene analysis (V1–V2). Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) was used to analyze microbiome data. Additionally, inflammatory parameters (such as CRP and IL-6) were derived from serum samples. Results: Daytime CVA correlated significantly with gut microbiota diversity (r=0.254, p=0.030), CRP (r=-0.348, p= 0.003), and IL-6 (r=-0.320, p=0.006). When the group was divided at the median of 24 hour CVA (Mdn=1.322), the following features were more abundant in the high CVA group: Clostridia (Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LDA)= 4.195, p= 0.029), Clostridiales (LDA=4.195, p= 0.029), Lachnospira (LDA=3.489, p=0.004), Ruminococcaceae (LDA=4.073, p=0.010), Faecalibacterium (LDA=3.982, p= 0.042), Lactobacillales (LDA=3.317, p=0.029), Bacilli (LDA=3.294, p=0.0350), Streptococcaceae (LDA=3.353, p= 0.006), Streptococcus (LDA=3.332, p=0.011). Based on Dirichlet multinomial mixtures two enterotypes could be detected, which differed significantly in CVA, age, BMI, CRP, IL-6 and diversity. Conclusions: As an indicator of gut-brain communication, gut microbiome analysis could be extended by measurements of CVA to enhance our understanding of signalling via microbiota-gut-brain-axis and its alterations through psychobiotics

‘An apple a day’?: psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists report poor literacy for nutritional medicine: international survey spanning 52 countries /

Nutritional interventions have beneficial effects on certain psychiatric disorder symptomatology and common physical health comorbidities. However, studies evaluating nutritional literacy in mental health professionals (MHP) are scarce. This study aimed to assess the across 52 countries. Surveys were distributed via colleagues and professional societies. Data were collected regarding self-reported general nutrition knowledge, nutrition education, learning opportunities, and the tendency to recommend food supplements or prescribe specific diets in clinical practice. In total, 1056 subjects participated in the study: 354 psychiatrists, 511 psychologists, 44 psychotherapists, and 147 MHPs in-training. All participants believed the diet quality of individuals with mental disorders was poorer compared to the general population (p < 0.001). The majority of the psychiatrists (74.2%) and psychologists (66.3%) reported having no training in nutrition. Nevertheless, many of them used nutrition approaches, with 58.6% recommending supplements and 43.8% recommending specific diet strategies to their patients. Only 0.8% of participants rated their education regarding nutrition as ‘very good.’ Almost all (92.9%) stated they would like to expand their knowledge regarding ‘Nutritional Psychiatry.’ There is an urgent need to integrate nutrition education into MHP training, ideally in collaboration with nutrition experts to achieve best practice care