Guillaume Fond is a practicing psychiatrist at the Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille [University Hospital of Marseille], an instructor and researcher at the Université d’Aix-Marseille, Timone Campus. The author of several hundred scientific articles in international journals of psychiatry, his work has twice earned him prizes: for the best publication in psychiatry; and from the prestigious European Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology.

Is there a connection between depression and irritable bowel syndrome? Should we take probiotics? Is a child’s hyperactivity connected to what he eats? What are the advantages of nutritional supplements in the prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease?

In light of the discoveries that have been made involving connections between the intestines and the brain, it is no longer possible to ignore the role of food in the onset of certain mental disorders, especially depression and anxiety which are spreading throughout the world just as are many intestinal problems.

A trend in research within psychiatry is focusing on the mechanisms by which disturbances of intestinal microbiota influence the psychology of ordinary life. If highly processed food destabilizes and attacks the protective barrier provided by microbiota, a certain food, rich in anti-inflammatory ingredients, can on the contrary protect or improve it, thereby positively influencing our mental state. The aim of this book is to explain, using the most recent advances in scientific research, how our intestines and our psyche interact throughout our lives, and to offer concrete advice to prevent or to treat the onset of certain mental disorders.