A study by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) examined the brains and guts of 116 self-reported “resilient” individuals, which revealed that resilient people exhibit brain activity associated with strong emotional regulation, and have “healthy” gut microbiomes associated with low inflammation.

The findings suggest maintaining a gut full of “good” bacteria could help the brain deal with life’s stresses. The Mediterranean diet is among the diets associated with reduced inflammation.