The influence of the intestinal microbiota and its modifications on the well-being of patients with depression

Depression is an increasingly common disease that significantly reduces quality of life. The number of patients with depression is constantly increasing, especially among younger people. There are many likely causes of depression related to internal as well as environmental factors. It is possible that the intestinal microbiota may play an important role in the development of depressive symptoms. Its diversity is important for the proper development and functioning of the nervous system, in which an important role is played by the gut brain axis, which is the pathway of communication of intestinal microorganisms with the central nervous system. Changes in the number and diversity of the intestinal microbiota affect many pathways potentially related to mood, including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, tryptophan metabolism, as well as the synthesis of neurotransmitters, short-chain fatty acids and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. These changes can also affect the response of the immune system and inflammatory processes. Therefore, it seems that modulation of the intestinal microbiota through diet components and probiotic supplementation may be extremely important in the treatment of depression, also as one of the methods of treating this pharmacotherapy-resistant condition. This work focuses on the effects of intestinal microbiota and its changes on the well-being of patients with depression.