Relationship between intestinal microbiota and mental health: a mul-tifactorial approach

Introduction: The balance of the intestinal microbiota is important for the quality of life of the individual due to it’s relationship with organic systems, such as the central nervous system (CNS). Thus, dysbiosis, characterized by imbalance of the intestinal microbiota, can cause inflammatory conditions present in diseases such as depression. However, poor eating habits and scarcity of physical activity are factors that corroborate the worsening of such a pathology, because they are closely linked to the dysfunction of this biosystem. Objectives: Understand the impact of the intestinal microbiota on mental health. Methodology: 18 articles were selected between the years 2019 and 2022, in the Scielo, PubMed, Bireme, Multidisciplinary and Psychology Magazine, Magazine, Brazilian Journal of Health and Brazilian Journal of Development. The key words used were microbiota, stress, probiotics, mental health and depression. The filters were the language (Portuguese and English) and the year of publication. Literature Review: the review was subdivided into topics, contemplating the definition of the brain-gut axis and the main mechanisms involved in its imbalance. It was also addressed about mental health, depression and the association of this with bad eating habits. In addition, the effectiveness of the use of probiotics in the regulation of the intestinal microbiota was analyzed. Conclusion: it’s concluded that the intestinal microbiota correlates through the intestine-brain axis with anxiety and depression, negatively impacting these diseases. Therefore, there are some ways to restore the symbiosis of the intestinal microbiota with non-inflammatory feeding and physical activity, improving the quality of life of patients.