Gut-Brain Connection: What It Is, Mental Health, and Diet

The brain and gut are connected through a two-way communication system.

The groups of nerve cells, chemicals, and microbes that make up the stomach’s complex network are responsible for causing the stomach to secrete digestive juices when thinking about food, or to experience stomach cramps when stressed.

There is a connection between the gut and the brain which links the central nervous system, including the brain, with the enteric nervous system in the gut. The Enteric Nervous System is often referred to as the “second brain.” It plays an important role not just in digestive health, but also in mental health.

There are both physical and chemical connections between your gut and your brain, involving:

• The vagus nerve : a large nerve that runs from your brain to your colon.
• Neurotransmitters : chemical messengers that help regulate digestion and emotional well-being.
• The gut microbiome : an ecosystem of trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in your gut and are important for your health.

There is more and more evidence that improving the health of your gut microbiome can help reduce symptoms of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, even though it is a relatively new area of research. Some studies suggest that what you eat can affect your mental health.

The gut-brain connection

The connections between the gut and brain are complex, involving the nervous system, the immune system, and neurotransmitters. This communication is two-way, meaning that the gut and brain can both send and receive signals.

Your gut microbiome is unique and plays a part in all of these.

The vagus nerve

The vagus nerve is a large nerve that connects your brain to your colon, allowing for communication between the two.

Research has found that the vagus nerve plays a key role in assisting communication between the brain and the gut.

The gut microbiome, which produces substances that can influence mood, is involved in this according to animal studies.

A study showed that feeding mice probiotics reduced the levels of stress hormones in their blood. When the vagus nerve was cut, the heart rate no longer went up when carbachol was injected.

Other research suggests that a relationship between stress, the gut, and the vagus nerve may also exist in humans.

Compared to people without Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome, people with these conditions had higher levels of stress and reduced function of the vagus nerve.

Neurotransmitters and the gut microbiome

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that help to relay messages between your body’s cells. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are produced in both your brain and your gut. They are part of the gut-brain connection.

Your gut microbiome (the bacteria in your digestive system) can affect the production of some neurotransmitters (chemicals that transmit messages between nerve cells. There are two chemicals that are important for your emotional well-being: serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

Your microbiome regulating serotonin production in your gut has been shown in studies.

Serotonin in your gut plays a role in processes related to digestion. Serotonin not only affects the gut, but it may also send signals to the brain that impact the production of neurotransmitters. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is involved in mood and sleep in the brain.

The bacteria in your gut also produce the neurotransmitter GABA, which can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and fear. Some animal studies have found that giving probiotics to increase the amount of “good” gut bacteria can also increase the production of GABA.

The gut microbiome and the immune system

The immune system is your body’s protection against disease. The immune system is a group of cells, chemicals, and organs that work together to protect the body from harmful bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

The gut-brain connection is very important. The microbiome in your gut can have a direct impact on your immune system.

A significant amount of your immune system is in your gut.

The gut microbiome’s effect on both gut and brain immune cells indicates its importance for immune health.

Although there is still much to learn about how gut microbes affects the immune system and brain function, scientists are aware that the bacteria in your gut can alter the level of proteins known as cytokines.

Proteins that contribute to inflammation and affect brain function are critical to the human body.

Gut health and mental health

Although both gut health and mental health are complex, there’s an increasing amount of evidence that they can have an effect on each other.

Mental health conditions such as anxiety are often linked with chronic gut conditions such as IBS. Recent research suggests that your gut bacteria could affect your mood, specifically symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Scientists have found that certain gut microbes may be connected to mental health conditions.

The study found that people with depression had fewer of two types of bacteria called Dialister and Coprococcus in their guts. More of these bacteria were linked to a better quality of life in the study.

We’ve seen some promising outcomes when using fecal microbiota transplants as a potential treatment for mental health disorders.

FMT is a therapy that uses samples of bacteria-filled poop from one person’s gut microbiome and transplants it into another person’s gut.

A few different studies have found that FMT can help improve symptoms of depression and anxiety in people, even though the effects don’t usually last very long and symptoms often come back a few months after treatment has ended.

Diet, probiotics, and mental health

There is evidence that eating healthier can improve your mental health.

Some studies suggest that improving your diet and including plant fibers called prebiotics, which provide food for your gut bugs, can boost your mood.

One study found that people with depression who changed their diets based on personalized advice from a nutritionist saw improvements in their symptoms.

Research has found that there is a link between diets consisting of mostly fast food and processed foods, and symptoms of depression. However, it is not yet clear if these diets are the direct cause of depression.

The benefits of probiotics for mental health, a field known as “psychobiotics,” are still being researched. Probiotics are live bacteria found in many fermented foods that may improve gut health.

Scientists found that people who were prone to anxiety and ate fermented foods containing probiotics experienced fewer symptoms of social anxiety.

There are many probiotic supplement products. Although it is uncertain to what extent these can assist with your mental health,

A recent review of 21 studies found that probiotic supplements and other dietary changes can help reduce anxiety symptoms. It found that although probiotics helped in some cases, other approaches were more effective.

Another analysis of 14 studies had similar results.

Gut-friendly diet

There is evidence that fermented foods containing probiotic bacteria are good for gut health. Eating a variety of these foods every day can help maintain a healthy population of these beneficial microbes.

Probiotic-rich foods include:

• live yogurt
• kefir
• sauerkraut
• kimchi
• miso
• cheeses such as aged cheddar, parmesan, and Swiss cheeses

It’s important to nourish your gut flora with prebiotics. You can read about foods that contain nutrients that help promote the growth of healthy bacteria here .

Many studies have been conducted that prove probiotic and prebiotic foods are beneficial to gut health.

Psychobiotics: The New Probiotic

There are new probiotics called psychobiotics that improve the gut-brain connection.

Research conducted thus far suggests that psychobiotics may be able to help alleviate depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, and gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS.

So far, the studies that have been conducted seem to suggest that psychobiotics are effective in treating stress, anxiety and depression. In other words, food is medicine. Food can directly improve your mood. How cool is that?

The psychobiotic used is Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 taken for 6 weeks.

What foods contain Psychobiotics?

. Psychobiotics can be found in dark, leafy greens, goat dairy, seaweed, and miso soup.

Foods to Strengthen Your Gut Brain Axis

Some of the best foods to help improve the communication between your gut and brain (often called the “gut-brain axis”) are fatty fish, bone broth, mushrooms, kefir, asparagus, sesame seeds, and coffee.

Before you add anything to your diet, make sure you avoid inflammatory foods, or your efforts will be useless. This is called ‘via negativa’ in Latin, meaning that it’s easier to remove things than it is to add them.

You should also avoid processed foods as they are not good for your gut bacteria.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is a great way to improve the communication between your gut and brain. This protectiveness against depression has been shown through eight different studies.

A diet focused on whole grains, seafood and poultry, beans, legumes, fruit and vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, nuts, and olive oil is a healthier option.

We can find more specific foods that are good for the gut-brain axis by doing a little more research.

Omega-3 Fats

Omega-3s are found in oily fish and algae. They are also highly concentrated in your brain. Omega-3s have anti-inflammatory properties that can help protect against chronic diseases.

Eating foods high in omega-3s can help improve your brain health and lower your risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. They also help to build a healthy gut in both mice and humans.

Probiotic Rich Foods

Probiotic-rich foods help to nourish your gut with good bacteria, which encourages a healthy gut.

The gut-brain axis is the connection between your gut and your brain. A healthy gut-brain axis protects your immune system and keeps you healthy.

There are many natural sources of probiotics, including kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt and kombucha.

Prebiotics

Soluble fiber that gut bacteria feed on. They help reduce stress hormones and improve gut function.

Natural sources of sulfur include asparagus, artichoke hearts, leeks, onions, and garlic.

Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are naturally high in vitamin B-6. B-6 is necessary for the synthesis of serotonin in your gut.

90% of the serotonin is made in your gut. The information then travels up the vagus nerve to the brain.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are beneficial to brain health, memory and gut bacteria. They can be found in plants. They’re important to your autonomic nervous system.

Green tea, coffee, cocoa and olive oil all contain polyphenols.

Bone Broth

Bone broth contains high levels of glycine, an amino acid. Glycine plays an important role in brain signalling and has been shown to improve mood, memory, and cognition.

It also helps with your digestion by decreasing inflammation and healing any damaged tissues in your intestines.

One cup of Bluebird Provisions bone broth can give you the 3 grams you need for digestive health benefits.

Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are rich in tyrosine, an amino acid that helps produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in motivation, reward and addiction. Dopamine is a chemical that helps you feel motivated and is important to your body’s nervous system.

How do you heal a gut brain connection?

There are four ways to reliably heal a gut-brain connection. These treatment methods include:

1. Relaxation therapy. This approach offers specific behavioral strategies to help people relax and reduce their anxiety.
2. Cognitive behavioral therapy
3. Gut-directed relaxation training
4. Biofeedback

Is gut health linked to anxiety?

Gut health has a direct impact on anxiety levels due to the vagus nerve. Stress and anxiety can cause stomach problems by affecting your enteric nervous system. The nervous system is interconnected with the brain.

How can you improve your gut brain connection?

by focusing on your digestive system first. You can improve your gut brain connectionImproving your gut health can also improve your cognitive function. Follow these steps:

1. Remove foods that disrupt your digestion or do not agree with you.
2. Try gut and brain healing foods like bone broth, probiotic foods, omega-3s and more.
3. Practice mindfulness, relaxation therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy.
4. Look into gut directed biofeedback training.
5. Consider hypnotherapy

How can I stop my gut brain connection anxiety?

You can stop your gut brain anxiety by trying these tips:

• Keep a food diary to figure out which foods that cause you digestive issues or make you feel bad.
• Learn which foods boost digestion and brain health like bone broth, kefir, fatty fish and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
• Consider cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation or biofeedback gut training. Studies show that practicing mindfulness can help reduce anxiety and playing music has been shown to stimulate creativity in the brain.

Closing Thoughts

The vagus nerve connects the gut and brain both physically and chemically. The production of important neurotransmitters, like serotonin, primarily occurs in the gut.

You can improve your brain health by reducing stress and anxiety. This can be done by changing your gut bacteria.

You can improve your gut-brain connection by eating foods such as omega-3s, probiotics, bone broth, polyphenols, mushrooms, and sesame seeds.

The best way to get started is to drink one cup of bone broth per day. This chicken bone broth is delicious and full of nutrients that help heal your gut, so you’ll feel better.