The microbiome and lifelong cognitive health in focus at Vitafoods Europe [Interview]

Dr Siobhain O'Mahony, a neurobiological scientist and senior lecturer at University College Cork (UCC), has been carrying out pioneering gut microbiome research for over 20 years. Her research group was among the first to acknowledge that microbes in the gut may affect the brain.

“At the beginning, our research involved looking at things like post-natal stressors – such as antibiotic intervention – in babies,” she explains. “We looked to see which microbes were being affected by these early life stressors, and how this activity might affect brain and behaviour development.”

O’Mahony’s work has since expanded beyond post-natal research to cover all aspects of cognition. This, of course, is a hot topic today. “Post-Covid, people are more aware than ever of how the brain can be affected by illness, and also the impact of things such as processed food on the gut. This is a really key area to be working in right now.”

Improving health outcomes in infants

At the invitation of Platinum event sponsor Atlantia Clinical Trials, O’Mahony will be giving a presentation at Vitafoods Europe 2024 (14-16 May, Geneva) that examines the microbiome gut-brain axis and its role in brain and behaviour development. Understanding how microbes produce substances that interact with the brain is critical, she believes. This is the basis for understanding that the food we feed our microbes will affect our brain health – at every stage of life.

“I have worked on early life studies – looking, for example, at breastfeeding,” she says. “This involves studying breastmilk components, identifying novel neuroactive substances, and looking at the impact of those on infant cognition and overall health. A key question here is whether health outcomes in infants can be improved through early gut health interventions.”

Impact of stressors on women’s health

Much of Siobhain’s research today centres around women’s health. “I work closely on issues such as endometriosis (a painful condition whereby tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus), as well as perimenopause and menopause,” she says. This involves looking at the impact of certain stressors – such as the exaggerated pain as experienced with endometriosis, or the hormonal changes during menopause – on brain health.

At Vitafoods Europe, O’Mahony intends to share real-life experiences, to demonstrate how disease can affect women’s wellbeing and cognitive health. In particular, she will look at the importance of gut health during the perimenopause and menopause stages of life.

“We know that gonadal hormones are needed for the brain to function properly,” she says. “During these life stages, there is a reduction of oestrogen production, which is necessary for health status including brain health. This underlines the need to potentially increase supplementation to make sure that brain health is optimal. The best time to intervene here is before the symptoms emerge.”

Tailored dietary and supplementary interventions

O’Mahony underlines the importance of diet, along with effective supplementary intervention when needed, at all stages of life. “We need to consider the microbiome from the start,” she says. “Microbes take up residency in the baby at birth.”

In early-stage infancy, the importance of breastfeeding and introduction of human milk oligosaccharides on the development of cognitive health has been confirmed. Such compounds feed really important bacteria in the gut, while other components, such as milk fat globule membrane, are also critical to a healthy start in life.

From children through to adulthood, good nutrition should be prioritised. Eating enough fibre and drinking enough water are foundational to maintaining the right balance in your gut, says O’Mahony. However, busy modern lifestyles mean that supplementation is often required, particularly at stages of life that involve significant changes within the body and gut microbiome.

On this point, O’Mahony would like to see more baseline microbiome assessments carried out, to tailor dietary and supplementary interventions that better meet the needs of people. “Women’s health is something I am particularly passionate about,” she says. “We need to be able to develop sex-specific interventions – and for this, we need more baseline studies. This is key to all research regarding gut and microbiome health.”

Atlantia Clinical Trials is a Platinum partner for the Vitafoods Europe Conference under the ‘Cognitive and Functional Health’ theme. The company has invited Dr Siobhain O'Mahony to deliver a session on its behalf. Dr O’Mahony’s research group is based in the APC Microbiome Ireland and the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience in the Biosciences Institute and the Western Gateway Building, UCC.