How the intestinal flora affects our organism

Anorexia Nervosa is often the reason when food intake becomes a daily struggle, body weight is dwindling due to constant starvation and life has no other content than the worry of weight gain. Especially young girls and women are affected by anorexia. Despite extensive research and different therapeutic approaches, a complete recovery of the patients is often impossible. In order to better understand the disease and its mechanisms, a European research team has been investigating the interaction between the intestine and the brain and its influence on a possible anorexia disease since 2019.

The second brain
Decisions are sometimes made "from the gut". Although the abdominal cavity contains mainly organs that are used for the utilization of food, this part of the body is nevertheless attributed "thinking" abilities. Prof. Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann, a member of JARA-BRAIN, is also concerned with the question of whether the intestine interacts with the brain. In the project "MIGBAN - Interaction between the intestinal microbiome and the brain in anorexia nervosa", the scientist is investigating, together with a European team of experts, how intestinal bacteria, their concentration and composition can possibly affect the development of anorexia nervosa.

Further information in german