The Powerful Link Between Your Gut, Brain and Mood
The number of people experiencing mental health challenges is on the rise. Almost half of all Australian adults will face mental ill-health during their lives. While the very real strain of the global pandemic, financial stressors and personal problems have contributed to this number, another culprit may be responsible .. and is even closer than you think! Research continues to find more and more links between anxiety, depression and the condition of the gut.
Your brain, mood and gut are more connected than you may realise – in fact, they are directly connected. The stomach may be associated with eating and the mind with thinking but, the two are actually a team that can influence the way you feel. The gut and brain work directly together connected by the vagus nerve, gut microbiota and inflammation levels. The way these factors interact with each other has significant influence on your mood!
The Gut-Brain Link
The vagus nerve is the body’s largest cranial nerve. It runs from the brain stem to locations all over the body, including your colon. The vagus nerve is like a phone line that runs between your gut and brain. Via this nerve ‘line’, the brain and gut can communicate messages to each other. The brain sends messages to the gut to contract muscles for swallowing and digestion and, the stomach sends signals to the brain about hunger levels and satiety. When there is an issue in the gut, that message is sent directly to the brain. Not only are the gut and brain connected by the vagus nerve, they also influence each other via the living bacteria in the microbiome of your gut.
Microbiome and Mood
Gut health depends on the balance of bacteria living in the microbiome of your digestive track. In other words, there is an environment of microbes living in your gut in a delicate harmony. These microbes are bacteria that aid digestion, protect against pathogens and supply your body with energy. These microbiomes are sensitive to stress, poor diet and external environmental toxins. Once this delicate balance of bacteria is off-kilter, the body becomes more vulnerable to disease.
Microbiome and Neurotransmitters
These gut bacteria or microbiome create nutrients and neurotransmitters. You may have heard of serotonin, melatonin and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters (also referred to as hormones) and, significant players in mood regulation. A balanced gut microbiome ensures the body is producing plenty of these ‘feel good’ eurotransmitters. If gut bacteria is out of balance, these precious transmitters are not produced which results in a change of brain chemistry leaving you more anxious, depressed and lethargic.
Inflamed Gut, Inflamed Mind
Bacteria in the microbiome can also send signals to the brain to kickstart our body’s immune response. This immune response leads to increased levels of inflammation in our gut and brain. When the microbiome is imbalanced, it can release signals to stimulate our immune response and promotes inflammation. Research now shows that underlying inflammation can trigger symptoms of major depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Cultivate Good Gut Health
Therefore, a healthy gut is essential for a healthy mood! Cultivating good health is an essential component to improve mental health. Here are proven tips and tricks for a balanced microbiome and a calm mind:
Good Gut Health can be Cultivated By:
Decrease inflammation: Decreasing inflammation comes in two parts – avoiding sources of inflammation and consuming enough anti-inflammatory foods.
Eat anti-inflammatory foods such as leafy green vegetables, fatty fish, nuts and seeds. These foods are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Also, turmeric is a spice that contains curcumin which has been shown to reduce inflammation. Sprinkle some turmeric into your next dish or add a turmeric supplement into your daily regime.
Avoid processed foods. Constant exposure to processed foods like fried foods, soft drinks, and refined white bread are researched to impact negatively on inflammation levels.
Lower your stress levels. Chronic stress forces your body to produce high levels of cortisol. Cortisol directly causes inflammation. You may be experiencing high cortisol levels if you noticed weight gain especially around your midsection and face, acne breakouts, and slow recovery times. To reduce your cortisol levels, make sure you are getting quality sleep,
exercise, and meditating. Allowing your body to rest and restore can bring your cortisol levels down to manageable levels.
Eating probiotic-rich foods: Fermented foods such as kombucha, kefir, sauerkraut, cultured yoghurt, kimchi, miso, and natto contain the good bacteria that are essential for balancing out your gut’s microbiome. If you are concerned you are not consuming enough probiotics from your daily diet, consider taking a daily probiotic supplement to fill in any nutritional gaps.
Focus on whole foods and fibre. Whole foods provide your body and mind with all of the essential nutritional building blocks needed to function well. Fibre also helps reduce inflammation so stock up on some vegetables, fruit and wholegrain foods!
Spend time in nature. Getting outside supports your immune system and by extension your gut. It also exposes you to even more microbes that can rebalance your microbiome. Most importantly, spending time in nature decreases your stress. Less stress means your body is producing less cortisol and cytokines which both directly lead to inflammation.
Get moving! Exercise is fantastic for your gut. Not only does exercise encourage weight loss, but it also boosts your immunity, improves your sleep, and boosts your mood from a spike in endorphins. Set a goal to take a daily walk outside and your gut will be thanking you!
Prioritize restorative sleep. Quality sleep is essential as it is when the body restores and repairs all its systems including the digestive system.
Repair your gut. Glutamine is an amino acid that serves as an energy source for the cells living in your gut that keep bacteria where they are supposed to be, support the immune system, and acts as an anti-inflammatory. Glutamine can be found in high - protein foods such as meat, beans, and dairy products. Sulforaphane also plays an integral role in maintaining the balance of bacteria in the microbiome and repair damage to the gut. Try adding an extra serving of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli or cabbage to your next meal for a boost of gut-healing sulforaphane.
If you need support to improve your mood and your gut health, book here for a 1 :1 Nutritional Medicine consultation.