Unraveling the role of the microbiome in major depressive disorder • Hacker News Board

Re: Unraveling the role of the microbiome in major depressive disorder

#31

Post by bcpl2000 » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 8:58 AM UTC

slothtrop wrote: post #15

xll64 wrote: post #12

It seems that microbiome research is always defended here. Perhaps it is scientific, but be aware that a multi billion dollar industry depends on "improving" the microbiome. Here's an ad in nature.com: https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-019-00336-9

I wouldn't necessarily equivocate all of that research. Very little of it, even in the realm of dietary impact, has to do with probiotics, and the research that does focus on probiotics largely doesn't suggest a lasting impact on the microbiome. Notwithstanding that there may be health benefits to probiotic consumption.

That is how we here think, but for covert advertising it is sufficient to get the word "microbiome" in the news as often as possible and to stress that it's important.

The average consumer does not read probiotics research, all that sticks is "Microbiome causes X, probiotics should fix it!".

Re: Unraveling the role of the microbiome in major depressive disorder

#32

Post by slothtrop » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 2:47 PM UTC

bcpl2000 wrote: post #31

slothtrop wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't necessarily equivocate all of that research. Very little of it, even in the realm of dietary impact, has to do with probiotics, and the research that does focus on probiotics largely doesn't suggest a lasting impact on the microbiome. Notwithstanding that there may be health benefits to probiotic consumption.

That is how we here think, but for covert advertising it is sufficient to get the word "microbiome" in the news as often as possible and to stress that it's important. The average consumer does not read probiotics research, all that sticks is "Microbiome causes X, probiotics should fix it!".

The average consumer is still a whole newscycle behind on that, but I think it's a stretch to say research in itself is advertisement. Headlines (which often do not even reflect the actual research content) might be advertisements.

Re: Unraveling the role of the microbiome in major depressive disorder

#33

Post by Ovah » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 3:01 PM UTC

flybrand wrote: post #29

Depression is a symptom of celiac disease, which is a result of gluten in the diet, another symptom of which is poor gut Microbiome health. I bring up Celiac because 1/ I have it, and 2/ there is very little medical doubt / uncertainty / controversy about the disease.

Technically speaking depression is not a symptom. It's diagnosis in its own right.

Re: Unraveling the role of the microbiome in major depressive disorder

#34

Post by pcdoodle » Wed, Dec 23, 2020, 7:12 PM UTC

jcoq wrote: post #22

taurath wrote: post #13

Any thought on imalanced microbiome being a second order effect rather than a cause? I’d guess continued stress responses from the nervous system could cause chronic gut problems

Every time a scientific article "x may cause y" is posted, there are a couple dozen "correlation does not equal causation" retorts, as if the researchers involved were unaware of this exceedingly basic and elementary principle. It's such a waste of comment - an intellectual platitude. Can you point specifically to how this research is flawed, or how alternative research offers a better explanation?

You’re right. Annoying for sure.