The Wall Street Journal reports on two, new giant studies, linking certain gut bacteria with depression.
The results were published in the journal Nature Communications, and add to a continually expanding line of research, suggesting a profound link to the bacteria percolating in our gut and the things percolating in our mind.
In particular, researchers found that bacteria in the Lachnospiraceae family and the genus Eggerthella were linked to higher levels of depression.
Meanwhile, low levels in the Ruminococcaceae family were linked to depression.
The two studies involved a total of 4,000 participants and, of course, controlled for important variables.
Dr. Jos Bosch, who co-wrote the studies, told the Wall Street Journal: “Ten years ago, if you’d said there was something linking the microbiome with depression, you’d be carried out in a straightjacket. Now, absolutely, it’s very clear there’s a link.”
Indeed, if you follow this blog, you’ll find study after study, over the years, suggesting a compelling link between gut bacteria and depression.
Of course, as the article notes, there’s the question of causality?
Perhaps depressed people are more likely to eat foods that contribute to a microbiome associated with depression?
Or maybe an individual’s microbiome leads to the depression (or, of course, both could be the case).
That’s a more difficult question.
But what’s become increasingly clear is that the chronic inflammation from certain microbiomes is associated with depression.
Now, about treatment.
It’s clear the next avenue will likely have to do with targeting these particular bacteria, but…. figuring out how to do that is a ways off.
And remember, if you’re on an antidepressant that’s working, it’s quite possible that it’s already doing something good to your gut, because most antidepressants have anti-inflammatory qualities and work on the gut in some way or another.
Now, quick spiritual comment.
If Christians come to their pastors for guidance re: their depression, every spiritual leader should a) hand that depressed Christian a list of professional psychiatrists and therapists who know this kind of stuff and b) pull a nice picture of gut microbiome from their drawers and say “ask your doctor about this.”
But of course, the church is so conditioned (particularly in the Covid era) to dismiss and revile medical studies that I’m afraid we’ve taken many steps backwards.
The tragedy is that many Christians will continue living in needless misery because politics has become the church’s new religion, and one of the core doctrinal tenants is a rejection of anything that says “published” next to “academic journal” next to “medical.”
But, oh, that is so terribly sad, because the church is full of Christians, suffering in silence because to embrace a medical explanation for depression is akin to embracing Satan himself.
But the medical evidence grows stronger by the day. Will the church ignore Galileo once again?
[Photo: Pexels, free stock photography]
