Mind the Microbiome: Dietary Intervention and Mental Health Outcomes of Homeless Adults
Creators: name: Gratreak, Brittany D.K.
name: Martindale, Robert G.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: microbiome
homeless
dysbiosis
health disparity
socioecnomic
mental health
gut microbiome
oral microbiome
probiotics

description: Major dietary changes are known to lead to lasting changes in gut microbiota composition. Alterations in the microbiome have been widely shown to modulate symptoms of psychiatric illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, and aggressive behaviors through neural, endocrine and immune pathways. Lack of food accessibility is a major concern for people who become homeless. Little data has been collected to examine how the experience of homelessness alters the gut microbiome. Worldwide, the prevalence of mental illness while experiencing homelessness is staggering. Microbiota species of particular interest are from the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium which have been previously reported to decrease depression and aggressive feelings in adults and in numerous animal models. Butyrate, a short chain fatty acid, is produced by microbes during fermentation of dietary soluble fibers. Butyrate has been shown to have neuroprotective effects against traumatic brain injury and modulate several neuropsychiatric disorders. Multiple mechanisms have been reported for butyrate in the realm of controlling or attenuating inflammation primarily through downregulating NF-κB, an important transcription factor in a cascade of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. In this proposed psychobiotics study, in volunteers a daily dietary intervention will be given in the form of yogurt with or without enrichment for butyrate-producing species (L. rhamnosus and L. casei). A baseline microbiome profile and behavioral assessment will be established prior to dietary intervention. Stool will be collected from participants midway and after the intervention. The stool and salivary microbiomes will be examined by DNA extraction/16S sequencing, and behavioral outcomes of both groups will be assessed after four weeks.
description: This proposal was presented at the NW Microbiome Mixer on March 16, 2019 at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) by Brittany D.K. Gratreak.
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