Researchers have discovered specific gut bacteria that contribute to food addiction, leading to obesity, in both mice and humans.
Professor Rafael Maldonado, head of the Laboratory, highlighted the potential of these findings to identify new biomarkers for food addiction and explore beneficial bacteria as possible treatments.
Researchers identified bacteria that may prevent food addiction.
Using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS 2.0), the team diagnosed food addiction in both mice and humans.
The groundbreaking research by Professor Martn-Garca and her colleagues paves the way for future treatments targeting the gut-brain axis in addressing food addiction and obesity.
Researchers have discovered specific gut bacteria that contribute to food addiction, leading to obesity, in both mice and humans.
Their findings, presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2024 and published in the journal Gut, also identified bacteria that may prevent food addiction.
Professor Elena Martn-Garca from the Laboratory of Neuropharmacology-NeuroPhar at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain, explained that food addiction is marked by a loss of control over food intake and is linked to obesity, eating disorders, and changes in gut microbiome composition.
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"Until now, the mechanisms underlying this behavioural disorder were largely unknown," she stated.
Professor Rafael Maldonado, head of the Laboratory, highlighted the potential of these findings to identify new biomarkers for food addiction and explore beneficial bacteria as possible treatments. Researchers identified bacteria that may prevent food addiction. (Photo: Getty Images)
He noted that current therapeutic approaches for this behaviour are ineffective, emphasising the need for new solutions involving beneficial bacteria and dietary supplements.
Using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS 2.0), the team diagnosed food addiction in both mice and humans. The scale, with its 35 questions for humans, was adapted for mice based on criteria like persistent food-seeking, high motivation for food, and compulsive behaviour.
Their investigation revealed that food-addicted mice had increased Proteobacteria and decreased Actinobacteria and Blautia. Similar patterns were observed in food-addicted humans.
These findings suggest certain microbiota could protect against food addiction, particularly Blautia, which showed potential benefits in both mice and humans.
The researchers further tested the effects of prebiotics like lactulose and rhamnose, which boost Blautia levels in the gut.
Administering these prebiotics to mice resulted in significant improvements in food addiction symptoms. Additionally, giving mice the probiotic Blautia wexlerae yielded similar positive results.
"The gut microbiota signatures in both mice and humans suggest possible non-beneficial effects of Proteobacteria and protective effects of Actinobacteria and Bacillota against food addiction," Prof. Martn-Garca said. Administering prebiotics to mice resulted in significant improvements in food addiction symptoms. (Photo: Getty Images)
She highlighted the complex interplay between gut bacteria and brain function, noting that this research marks the first demonstration of direct interaction between gut composition and brain gene expression.
The team also explored the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in food addiction.
Using the Tough Decoy (TuD) technique to inhibit specific miRNAs in the medial prefrontal cortex of mice, they found that inhibiting miRNA-29c-3p and miRNA-665-3p increased vulnerability to food addiction by promoting persistent and compulsive behaviours.
"These two miRNAs could act as protective factors against food addiction," Prof. Maldonado explained. Understanding their role could shed light on the neurobiology of eating control loss, which is crucial in obesity and related disorders. The researchers are now delving deeper into the interaction between gut microbiota and miRNA expression in the brain.
The groundbreaking research by Professor Martn-Garca and her colleagues paves the way for future treatments targeting the gut-brain axis in addressing food addiction and obesity.
