The Influence of Gut Bacteria on Decision-Making: Study Finds Nutritional Supplements Can Impact Behavior

A recent study published in the scientific journal PNAS Nexus has revealed that nutritional supplements can influence decision-making, with the microbiome in the intestine playing a key role. Researchers from Sorbonne University’s Paris Brain Research Institute and the University of Bonn conducted the study, which involved 101 participants who participated in the ultimatum game, a social decision-making task.

The results showed that those who received a microbiota-affecting nutritional supplement course were more sensitive to unfair proposals in the game. The study also noted that subjects who had the greatest imbalance in bacterial strains in their gut at the beginning of the study showed the most significant changes in behavior after the course. The findings suggest that these changes were due to alterations in their microbiome and decreased levels of tyrosine in their bodies.

Further research is needed to fully understand the implications of these results, but they shed light on potential influences of gut bacteria on decision-making and social judgments.