One of the things I explore in depth in Brain Maker is the notion that even depression is now considered an inflammatory disorder. We now understand that inflammatory markers, the same that we see elevated in heart disease are also elevated in the depressed patient. So the question is: If depression is an inflammatory disorder then where does the inflammation come from? Interestingly that is more or less the title of a study that was recently published in a British medical journal in 2013. In this video we take a closer look at the gut microbiome, leaky gut and how it relates to disorders such as depression.

Evolution of the Microbiome 

Comparing the Ancestral and Modern Microbiome 

We now understand that it’s not just a question of living in a rural versus a urban environment, but we have actually changed our gut bacteria in going from ancient times to more modern times. We now have the tools at our disposal to be able to look at the makeup of the microbiome based on analysis of fossilized stool samples. In a recent study the stool of humans from thousands of years ago was analyzed and it was determined that the microbiomes of our rural ancestors more closely resembles that of modern rural humans as opposed to urban dwellers.

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