Ya sabemos que los intestinos cuentan con su propio sistema nervioso, el SNE (sistema nervioso entérico), con más de 500 millones de neuronas. Los científicos estudian ahora cómo se comunican las células nerviosas del SNE con las neuronas del cerebro a través del «eje intestino-cerebro». Las últimas investigaciones en la materia muestran que lo que sucede en el medio intestinal, así como las actividades de las bacterias que lo habitan, influye en las acciones de las neuronas del SNE.
Referencias:
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Zhou L, Foster JA. Psychobiotics and the gut–brain axis: in the pursuit of happiness. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. 2015; 11: 715–723. doi https://dx.doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S61997
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Bercik P, Denou E, Collins J, Jackson W, et al. The Intestinal Microbiota Affect Central Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor and Behavior in Mice. Gastroenterology. 2011; 141(2): 599-609. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2011.04.052
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Mayer EA, Padua D, Tillisch K. Altered brain-gut axis in autism: comorbidity or causative mechanisms? Bioessays. 2014; 36(10):933-9. doi: 10.1002/bies.201400075.
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