"Research Links Gut Microbiota to Increased Social Anxiety Behaviors"
Researchers at University College Cork and University Hospital Frankfurt discovered that the gut microbiome might influence social anxiety disorder (SAD). In a mouse study, fecal transplants from humans with SAD altered the animals' behavior, leading to symptoms of SAD when the mice were exposed to unfamiliar social environments. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also noted differences in the microbial composition, brain chemicals, and inflammation-promoting factors in the mice receiving SAD-associated microbiota. This research suggests a potential link between gut bacteria and social anxiety, opening avenues for novel treatments.