If recent years have taught us anything, it is the importance of prioritizing our mental health in any way we can, whether it’s through self-care practices or taking the occasional mental health day. Surprisingly, another great way to support mental health is by implementing habits that support gut health and the production of good gut bacteria.
Supporting our gut health is important for several reasons. On the one hand, our intestine contains the enteric nervous system that commonly Known as “the second brain”.” Our intestine is also responsible for producing 90 percent of serotonin, which is a mood-stabilizing hormone commonly known as the “happiness hormone.” It doesn’t stop there—a naidooMD, Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist, professional chef, nutritional biologist, and national bestselling author, This is your brain on food shares that the bacteria in our gut can support vitamin production, hormone production, sleep and circadian rhythm, infection control, our mental health, and more.
But how exactly can bacteria in the gut reach the brain and impact cognitive functioning? we can thank gut-brain axis (or gut-brain connection), a two-way communication network connecting the gut and the brain, for that. “The gut and the brain originate from the same cells in the human embryo and then divide to form two separate organs that are connected by the vagus nerve,” says Dr. Naidoo.
The vagus nerve It represents the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is what helps us control our mood, immune response, and digestion. “The gut-brain axis is an evolutionary phenomenon that connects the microbiome and the brain, appearing in the nerve pathway, the endocrine pathway, and the immune pathway,” he says. Ali RezaieMD, gastroenterologist from California and author of The microbiome connection. In simple terms, the gut-brain connection can be thought of as a two-way highway that sends text messages between the gut and the brain 24/7/365.
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The gut-brain connection, of course, has left many experts wondering what gut health, specifically gut bacteria, can teach us about mental health. We sat down with Dr. Naidoo and Dr. Rezaie, two of the world’s leading experts in the field, to better understand what current research has to say about the relationship between gut health and mental health.
How Gut Bacteria and Mental Health Impact Each Other
“There have been studies associating depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, [and] all these central nervous system and psychiatric disorders with the gut microbiome,” says Dr. Rezaie. For example, research suggests that those with low diversity in gut bacteria or a altered composition of the microbiome they are more likely to experience depression and anxiety.
Research has also shed light on the complex ways in which eating certain foods affects the composition of our gut microbiome, which in turn can affect our mental health. “When healthy, nutrient-dense foods break down during the digestive process and their byproducts interact with your gut bacteria, you get short-chain fatty acids, which are great for supporting gut health,” shares Dr. Naidoo. Certain foods, like probiotic and prebiotic foodsIt can also help in the production of postbioticswhich are key to supporting gut health.
But both Dr. Rezaie and Dr. Naidoo stress the fact that not all foods will have a positive impact on the gut. In fact, some can make us feel worse mentally over time. “Certain fast foods, ultra-processed foods, foods high in added sugars, and artificial sugars and/or processed oils can damage the lining of the intestine, [which can] cause more chronic and severe inflammation in the gut that has been associated with depression, anxiety, cognitive disordersand more,” shares Dr. Naidoo. The same goes for alcohol..
Dr. Naidoo adds that the byproducts that result from the breakdown of these foods can be harmful to the intestine, which can damage the intestinal lining and cause inflammation in the cells. “Instead of working at their best, bacteria in the gut interact with depleted food in the intestinal environment, which feeds the bad bacteria more than the good. This can lead to dysbiosis,” she says. Dysbiosis is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut that has been shown to contribute to various health problems. “I always say that intestinal inflammation is brain inflammation [due to the gut-brain connection], so when the gut becomes inflamed over time, it will reconnect to the brain. Unfortunately, neuroinflammation can be correlated with cognitive disorders,” adds Dr. Naidoo.
While it’s pretty clear that what we put into our bodies can affect our gut microbiome (and brain function), diet is only part of the puzzle of understanding how the bacteria in our gut affect mental health, says Dr. Dr Rezaie. Both experts agree that more research is needed to understand exactly how the gut plays a role in mental health, but the future is promising.
6 ways to balance the composition of the gut microbiome to benefit mental health
Diet alone can’t affect mental health, but there are still ways to balance the composition of your gut microbiome to support your mental and emotional well-being. Here are six tips from the experts worth checking out.
1. Eat fermented foods
“Fermented foods have been shown to help with inflammation in the intestine and improve the diversity of good gut bacteriasays Dr. Naidoo. Fermented foods undergo a process in which bacteria and yeast break down sugars that can increase the amount of probiotics in the food. Some examples of fermented foods are kefir, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi, miso, and tempeh.
2. Add spices to dishes
“Many spices have rich antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can support gut healthlike turmeric and saffron,” says Dr. Naidoo. He also suggests spices like ginger, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, and oregano to add to your dishes for an uplifting twist.
3. Eat green leafy vegetables
“Eating green leafy vegetables is very important, as they are rich in folate, fiber, iron, and other nutrients,” says Dr. Naidoo. “Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard, kale, arugula, and dandelion greens are excellent sources of folate, which is an important vitamin that has been associated with decreased depressive symptoms and better cognition.”
4. Eat omega-3 fatty acids
“Eating omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to help with anxiety and can be found in fatty fish such as wild-caught salmon, anchovies, sardines, walnuts, flaxseeds, and hempseeds,” says Dr. Naidoo. He may also explore supplementation, but check with your GP beforehand.
5. Eat foods rich in vitamin D
“Foods rich in vitamin D can help with anxiety and mood regulation,” shares Dr. Naidoo. Not Getting Enough Vitamin D May Contribute to Depression-Like Symptoms and anxiety Whether you know it or not, vitamin D deficiency It’s much more common than you think, so you may need to implement more vitamin D-rich foods. Examples include salmon, herring, sardines, cod liver oil, canned tuna, egg yolks, egg and mushrooms.
6. Diversify the foods you eat
While focusing on certain foods can be a great way to balance the composition of your gut microbiome, Dr. Rezaie recommends eating the widest possible range of plant-based foods— from fresh produce to beans, nuts, heart-healthy cooking oils, seeds, tofu, etc. — to keep your gut microbiome running at its best and diversify the bacteria in your gut. “The more diverse [gut bacteria]better for healthy bowel function, heart function, kidney function, and now psychiatric issues,” he adds.
Dr. Naidoo agrees, saying that the more diverse the foods we eat, the more diversity we are giving back to the bacteria in our gut to help them thrive. “Eating a variety of plant-rich foods and prebiotic foods that contain plant polyphenols, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties can have a positive impact on our gut health, as well as mental health.” Nourishing your body with nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods can also help with anxiety by stabilizing blood sugar levels and reducing inflammation in the gut. (FYI: Dr. Rezaie cautions that it’s wise to consult with a gastroenterologist, registered dietitian, or primary care physician before adding new foods to your diet if you have irritable bowel syndrome.) [IBS] o bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine [SIBO] to avoid eating foods that can make your symptoms worse).
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