Seeing the wood for the trees: A new way to view the human intestinal microbiome and its connection with non-communicable disease

This 2019 paper briefly reviewed the connection of the intestinal microbiome to the rise in non-communicable conditions related to atopic disease, obesity and mental health. Following their analysis, Jheeta & Smith (2019) suggested that components of the microbiome assess microbial antigens in food and pass this information back to the immune system via chemical messengers that are not yet described (authors called them kairomones), and thus atopic disease arises partly due to the insufficient antigens present on the processed foods consumed failing to activate this kairomone feedback mechanism, which atrophies as a result. This paper also proposed the idea that obesity is a consequence of the decreasing production of allomone-like psychotropic compounds (including the known microbial metabolites dopamine and serotonin), is induced by dysbiosis, and the weakening of the gut-brain axis and the negative effect on mental health that follows. Dysbiosis can occur through other ways including antibiotic use and sterile caesarian section, but Jheeta & Smith (2019) are hopeful that these problems can be overcome and the future can be free of these non-communicable diseases. [NPID: microbiome, MGBA, gut-brain axis, gut microbiome, non-communicable disease, atopic disease, obesity, immune system, dopamine, serotonin]

Year: 2019

Reference: Jheeta, S., & Smith, D. (2019). Seeing the wood for the trees: A new way to view the human intestinal microbiome and its connection with non-communicable disease. Medical hypotheses, 125, 70–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2019.02.016