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uxhackeryesterday at 12:00 PM1 replyview on HN

This paper actually surveys research on humans and not mice.

The association between gut microbiota and cognitive decline: A systematic review of the literature

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027153172...

It shows ”Gut microbiota modulation improves cognition in adults with early impairment. Diet, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation share mechanistic pathways and that evidence clarifies how microbiota-targeted strategies support cognitive health.”

The action could be explained due to an anti inflammatory action by the gut biome.


Replies

Aurornisyesterday at 1:30 PM

Yes, there are some interesting potential mild modulations that can occur with microbiome change.

That paper commits one of the major sins of many microbiome papers which is to attribute all benefits of diet change to the microbiome. Like the parent commenter it gets drawn to the idea that all changes in the body can be traced back to the microbiome and assumes that it explains everything, but that’s obviously not true.

However, when someone is taking two powerful substances with direct brain action and known modulators effects on memory, blaming anything else in the body is bad logic.