This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Not directly an MS story, but it may help strengthen the argument for diet's affect on MS:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ire ... 90308.html

Very interesting and thanks for posting the article tzootsi. By the way i swear by using Gaba with a tbspoon of olive oil (better absorption) whenever i suffer from insomnia as it really does relax me and help to induce sleep

Exciting news for the natural health industry out of the University of College Cork in Ireland, where researchers are reporting success in a study in which mice were treated for anxiety and depression-related disorders using Lactobacillus probiotics. The study was published today in the prestigious international journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. The report also showed that regular ingestion of the Lactobacillus strain caused changes in the expression of receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA in the mouse brain; this is the first time that it has been demonstrated that probiotics have a direct effect on brain chemistry in normal situations.
“This study identifies potential brain targets and a pathway through which certain gut organisms can alter mouse brain chemistry and behaviour. These findings highlight the important role that gut bacteria play in the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, the gut–brain axis, and opens up the intriguing opportunity of developing unique microbial-based strategies for treatment for stress-related psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression”, said John F. Cryan, senior author on the publication and Professor of Anatomy and Principal Investigator at the Science Foundation Ireland funded Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, at UCC.

i haven't read this study. how did they initiate depression and anxiety in the mice? i remember one study where they induced depression in mice by making them magnesium deficient.

in conclusion the researchers recommended using magnesium deficiency in mice as a way to study different depression treatments.

of course that older conclusion made me laugh, but this study brings in the connection between healthy gut flora and magnesium absorption (magnesium is mostly absorbed in the small intestine).

Gut flora in health and disease
http://www.dms.ufsc.br/mip7013/arquivos ... isease.pdf

"Colonic microoganisms also play a part in vitamin synthesis34,35 and in absorption of calcium, magnesium, and iron.25,36,37"

a few more tidbits about diet, gut flora and nutrition...

Phytate breakdown and apparent absorption of phosphorus, calcium and magnesium in germfree and conventionalized rats
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 1796000383
"... the presence of gastrointestinal microflora did not increase phytate breakdown, which means that gastrointestinal microflora play no major roll in phytate breakdown in rats. ...Comparison between rats fed the phytate-free diet and those fed the phytate-containing diets made clear that ...dietary phytate decreased apparent absorption of Mg but not that of Ca.

now that is very interesting. i knew all about phytates impairing zinc absorption, but i hadn't realized the effect on magnesium absorption.

Ecological control of the gastrointestinal tract. The role of probiotic flora
http://gut.bmj.com/content/42/1/2.extract
"Changes in food habits in Western countries that no doubt constitute stresses to the human body and that may predispose to inflammatory, infectious, ulcerative, degenerative, and neoplastic diseases include the following: the consumption of 100 lb refined sugar per individual per year; the 10-fold increase in sodium consumption; the fourfold increase in consumption of saturated fat; the doubled consumption of cholesterol; a much reduced consumption of vegetable fibres, and of minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chromium; and a considerable reduction in consumption of n-3 fats, membrane lipids, vitamins, and antioxidants..."

Hi!

The condition Candida can affect mood and cognitive behavior so doesnt surprise me at all, as Candida is when the bad bacteria take over the naturally produced good bacteria. I find it all so very interesting, I have just posted on antibiottcs forum how important it is to take acidophilus (pro biotic supplement) whilst taking Antibiotics.