Gut microbiota and serotonin alter after Connected to nature intervention. Connected to Nature

Due to rapid urbanization, children today have fewer opportunities to interact with nature, causing greater risks for stress, depression and poor cognition. Outdoor nature-related activities can enhance general well-being, as demonstrated by increased physical activity, a healthier diet, better sleep and reduced stress. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully delineated. Since gut microbiota have recently been hypothesized to play a key role in the gut-brain axis, we investigated whether an intervention targeting outdoor nature-related activities have an impact on children’s mental health by modulation of gut microbiota and associated serotonin pathways.The intervention improved children’s Connectedness to Nature and their responsibility towards it. The gut microbiome of children participated in the intervention has been improved, especially by stabilizing the abundance of Roseburia and related fecal serotonin level, leading to lower level of anger scores. This study demonstrated a potential pathway indicating the importance of nature-induced gut microbiota associated stable fecal serotonin level in improving mental health of preschool children.