The health implications of our gut microbiome – the trillions of bacteria that live in our gastrointestinal tract – have been uncovered in recent years. But a new study finds a surprising benefit of maintaining a healthy gut: better recovery from spinal cord injury.
The researchers, led by Phillip G. Popovich of Ohio State University, publish their findings in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.
They note that our gut microbiota communicates with the central nervous system (CNS) by interacting with immune cells and secreting metabolites that pass through the blood-brain barrier.
