Health & Mind

The Gut-Brain Axis

How Your Microbiome Shapes Your Mental Health

Priya Nair

Gastroenterologist and researcher at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, studying the relationship between the gut microbiome and neurological health.

March 10, 2026·15 min read

The Gut-Brain Axis

The trillions of microorganisms living in your digestive system do far more than help you digest food. Emerging research reveals that the gut microbiome communicates directly with the brain, influencing mood, cognition, and the risk of psychiatric disorders.

TOPICS

microbiomemental healthneurosciencenutrition

More from Health & Mind

View all Health & Mind articles →

Health & Mind

Why Do We Dream?

Every night, as your body lies still, your brain stages an elaborate private cinema — conjuring faces, landscapes, and emotions from nothing. After a century of research, scientists are finally beginning to decode what dreams are actually for, and the answers are stranger and more profound than anyone expected.

Sophia Liang·15 min read

Society & Culture

The Loneliness Epidemic

Despite living in the most connected era in human history, rates of loneliness and social isolation have reached epidemic proportions across the developed world. Understanding this paradox requires examining the difference between connection and genuine community.

Amara Osei·13 min read

Philosophy & Ideas

The Hard Problem of Consciousness

Why does physical processing in the brain give rise to subjective experience? This question — the "hard problem" of consciousness — remains one of the deepest unsolved problems in science and philosophy, with implications for our understanding of mind, identity, and the nature of reality.

Thomas Adeyemi·14 min read

View all Health & Mind articles →