ABSTRACT

    With nearly one third of American adults reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression, bettering mental well-being has become modern medicine’s newest focus. To successfully heal the brain, scientists have begun to look at one of its most crucial connective systems: the gut-brain axis. A bidirectional communication network linking the gastrointestinal tract with the central nervous system, this axis is responsible for linking emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions. In the gut microbiome, microbiota and microbiota-derived metabolites have a massive impact on cognitive abilities, existing as a possible key to unlocking the secrets of the brain. This magazine provides a series of articles that peer into this profound relationship.