A Healthy Gut for a Healthy Brain: Preclinical, Clinical and Regulatory Aspects

Abstract

: A large body of research has shown the presence of a complex pathway of communications between the gut and the brain. It is now recognized that, through this pathway, the microbiota can influence brain homeostasis and plasticity under normal and pathological conditions. This review aims at providing an overview of preclinical and clinical pieces of evidence supporting the possible role of gutbrain axis modulation in physiological aging, in a neurodevelopmental disorder, the autism spectrum disorders and in a substance abuse disorder, the alcohol addiction. Since the normalization of gut flora can prevent changes in the behavior, we postulate that the gut-brain axis might represent a possible target for pharmacological and dietary strategies aimed at improving not only intestinal but also mental health. The present review also reports some regulatory considerations regarding the use of probiotics, illustrating the most debated issues about the possibility of considering probiotics not only as a food supplement but also as a “full” medicinal product.

Knowledge and Practice towards Alcohol Consumption in a Sample of University Students

“…Chronic alcohol consumption has been observed to lead to insulin resistance, resulting in a higher risk of diabetes mellitus by disrupting glucose homeostasis in drinkers [32,33]. Alcohol has a clear impact on hemorrhagic strokes (causing 9.5% of all hemorrhagic stroke deaths), hypertensive heart diseases (7.4% of all hypertension deaths), cardiomyopathies (6.8% of all cardiomyopathy deaths), ischemic heart diseases (2.7% of all ischemic heart disease deaths), and other cardiovascular disorders [12,[34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. Moreover, alcohol can affect the innate and the acquired immune systems and may increase vulnerability to infectious diseases [21,22,41,42].…”

Alcohol and Head and Neck Cancer: Updates on the Role of Oxidative Stress, Genetic, Epigenetics, Oral Microbiota, Antioxidants, and Alkylating Agents

“…Plant polyphenols are natural antioxidants which, at the same time, also exhibit prooxidant properties (also important for polyphenols anticancer properties), catalyzing oxidative DNA cleavage particularly in the presence of transition metal ions such as copper and iron [ 199 , 288 ]. Polyphenols in oils, especially extra virgin olive oil, are effective in both preventing cancer and in reducing toxicity and carcinogenicity of alcohol, mainly due to its antioxidant properties [ 276 , 289 , 290 , 291 ]. In an dimethyl-benzanthracene-induced hamster model of carcinogenesis, green tea lowered detectable tumors by almost 35% and tumor volume by almost 57%, while tea ( Camellia sinensis ) constituents inhibited carcinogenesis of various tumors, including HNC, by inducing apoptosis and reducing cell proliferation, with a major role played by epigallocathechin-3 gallate (ECG) and theaflavins through inhibiting mitogen-activated protein kinases, as well as signaling growth factor, cyclin-dependent kinases, including topoisomerase-1 and many other potential targets [ 292 , 293 ].…”

Mediterranean Diet, Brain and Muscle: Olive Polyphenols and Resveratrol Protection in Neurodegenerative and Neuromuscular Disorders

“…It is now well established that the microbiota has a crucial role in maintaining a healthy state and at the same time is known that many factors can influence it: diet and lifestyle for first. Indeed, the role that compounds such as polyphenols plays towards the human bacterial component is instead less explored, despite the fact that this healthy molecules can be supplemented in normal nutrition and, with ad hoc formulations, in certain pathological conditions [120] .…”