Gut microbiome linked to sleep quality and immune function

Dr. Shawn Talbott (Ph.D., CNS, LDN, FACSM, FACN, FAIS) has gone from triathlon struggler to gut-brain guru! With a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry, he's on a mission to boost everyday human performance through the power of natural solutions and the gut-brain axis.

Interesting article and study published recently showing the close link between sleep (both quantity and quality) and the balance of the gut microbiome. Please see my highlighted version below…

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Sleep quantity and quality may contribute to gut microbiota diversity

Original summary article is here = https://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/en/sleep-quantity-and-quality-may-contribute-to-gut-microbiota-diversity/

Original research study is here = Smith RP, Easson C, Lyle SM, et al. Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans. PLoS ONE. 2019; doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222394

We already know there is a connection between sleep deprivation and a higher risk of suffering from diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cancer. Now, a new study by scientists at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Florida (USA) goes on to show that poor sleep is also linked to poor gut microbiota diversity, which in turns affects overall health.

“Sleep is pretty much the ‘Swiss Army Knife of health’. Getting a good night’s sleep can lead to improved health, whereas a lack of sleep can have detrimental effects,” explains Jaime Tartar, research director at NSU’s College of Psychology and co-author of the study, published in Plos One.

“Getting a good night’s sleep can lead to improved health, whereas a lack of sleep can have detrimental effects,”

The researchers undertook an experiment with 40 young healthy male volunteers, who were asked to wear a connected watch for 30 days. The device objectively monitored aspects of the quality and quantity of their sleep, taking into account factors that included bedtime, time spent in bed, total sleep time or the number of awakenings during the night.

Researchers also extracted DNA from participants’ fecal samples to examine gut microbiota diversity. We know that a more diverse gut microbiota seems to be associated with better overall health. And in this regard, Tartar highlights, a lack of gut microbiota diversity has been associated with diseases such as Parkinson’s, depression and autoimmune diseases.

After analyzing the fecal samples, the team found that the subjects who slept well had a more diverse gut microbiota and, inversely, that poor sleep was associated with decreased microbiota diversity.

A lack of gut microbiota diversity has been associated with diseases such as Parkinson’s, depression and autoimmune diseases.

“We were completely fascinated to see such strong correlation between different sleep measurements and gut microbiota diversity,” explains Tartar. “The next step is to try and understand if lower gut microbiota diversity causes poor sleep or whether, conversely, poor sleep leads to lower gut microbiota diversity. Right now we are planning a study to solve this question.”

The answer could lead to the development of potential interventions to improve gut microbiota diversity and thus, sleep quality and overall health.

Abstract of the Study:

The human gut microbiome can influence health through the brain-gut-microbiome axis. Growing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome can influence sleep quality. Previous studies that have examined sleep deprivation and the human gut microbiome have yielded conflicting results. A recent study found that sleep deprivation leads to changes in gut microbiome composition while a different study found that sleep deprivation does not lead to changes in gut microbiome. Accordingly, the relationship between sleep physiology and the gut microbiome remains unclear. To address this uncertainty, we used actigraphy to quantify sleep measures coupled with gut microbiome sampling to determine how the gut microbiome correlates with various measures of sleep physiology. We measured immune system biomarkers and carried out a neurobehavioral assessment as these variables might modify the relationship between sleep and gut microbiome composition. We found that total microbiome diversity was positively correlated with increased sleep efficiency and total sleep time, and was negatively correlated with wake after sleep onset. We found positive correlations between total microbiome diversity and interleukin-6, a cytokine previously noted for its effects on sleep. Analysis of microbiome composition revealed that within phyla richness of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were positively correlated with sleep efficiency, interleukin-6 concentrations and abstract thinking. Finally, we found that several taxa (Lachnospiraceae, Corynebacterium, and Blautia) were negatively correlated with sleep measures. Our findings initiate linkages between gut microbiome composition, sleep physiology, the immune system and cognition. They may lead to mechanisms to improve sleep through the manipulation of the gut microbiome.

About the Author

Exercise physiologist (MS, UMass Amherst) and Nutritional Biochemist (PhD, Rutgers) who studies how lifestyle influences our biochemistry, psychology and behavior - which kind of makes me a "Psycho-Nutritionist"?!?!

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