Caffeine protected the gut-brain axis in mice exposed to chronic stress by preventing intestinal lining damage, maintaining microbiome composition, and lowering inflammation in both blood and brain. Stressed mice treated with caffeine showed behavioral responses similar to non-stressed mice. Gut microbes can influence mood, brain inflammation, and cognitive function. Prior human data link moderate coffee consumption with reduced depression and anxiety. The mouse findings imply that daily caffeine intake could support mental health during chronic stress through regulation of gut microbiota, preservation of intestinal barrier integrity, and reduction of neuroinflammation.
A new study from researchers in China suggests that caffeine - a prominent chemical compound in the magic elixir coffee - may help prevent depression caused by chronic stress. Published Aug. 5 in the European Journal of Pharmacology, an Elsevier title, the study suggests caffeine may help protect an important gut-brain connection, referred to as the "gut-brain axis," that has been associated with the development of depression in humans.
Mice exposed to chronic stress but not to caffeine showed damage to their intestinal lining and changes in their gut microbiome, along with higher levels of inflammation in both the blood and the brain. Yet in the caffeine-treated, stressed group, those changes were largely absent, the authors wrote. Additionally, the caffeine-treated mice behaved more like their non-stressed counterparts. The "gut-brain axis" has emerged as a key area of research in mental health, according to the researchers.
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