Evidence of a gut-brain connection
Over the last century, a connection between gastrointestinal (GI) abnormalities and problems outside of the GI tract has become evident. For example, an association between GI problems and arthritis was described in 1910.1 Over time, a relationship between the GI tract and the brain (a gut-brain connection) also has emerged. As long ago as 1889, researchers reported “an exhaustional confusional form of insanity proceeding from a dilated and over-filled colon.”2 Colonic irrigation was commonly used in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with some investigators reporting that colon cleansing improved certain mental diseases.3 Notwithstanding this history, it is only in the last decade or so that the gutbrain connection has become more widely acknowledged. Research in this area has greatly increased. While this article’s overall focus is on the interaction between the gut and the brain, it highlights mitochondrial function as one of the critical bridges between these two body systems. I first examine some potential mechanisms of a gut-brain connection. Next, I discuss mitochondrial function in detail and assess how problems with mitochondrial function (mitochondrial dysfunction) can contribute to both GI abnormalities and neurological sequelae. In the context of abnormal GI function, I also review the potential adverse effects on mitochondrial function of bacterial imbalances in the GI tract and discuss how this can adversely affect the gut-brain connection. I conclude with a discussion of the potential role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in improving mitochondrial dysfunction as well as GI and brain function.
