The gut, the brain, and the connection in between

How a healthy gut supports a healthy mind AND how your mental health supports a healthy gut.

Our diet plays a significant role in our mental health and our mental health plays a significant role in our digestion. This is the connection between our gut and brain, often referred to as the gut-brain axis.

This relationship is a bidirectional communication network involving the central nervous system (CNS), the enteric nervous system (ENS), and the gut microbiota. This  connection is how mental health can significantly impact digestive health and vice versa. It’s not all in your “head”, it’s in your second brain too “gut”.

If you’ve ever been stressed out to the point that your stomach churns, or you feel a flip-flop or butterflies before a nerve-wracking event - you understand the gut-brain axis. If you’ve ever eaten too much or something that your stomach didn’t agree with, how is your mood impacted? I’m going to guess you’re irritable, frustrated, or even depressed.

A diet rich in whole foods, especially plants, offers numerous benefits for both gut health and brain function. Let’s explore how plants can support this vital connection.

The 2nd Brain

The gut is often referred to as the "second brain" because of its complex neural network and the role it plays in producing neurotransmitters that influence mood and cognitive functions. The gut microbiota, comprising trillions of microorganisms, plays a crucial role in this process by producing compounds like serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), essential for regulating mood and emotions.

Impact of Mental Health on Digestion

Let’s think of those times we’ve had stress in our lives and we’ve felt it almost instantly impact the gut. We’ve all seen the movie scenes of nerves affecting a bride or groom right before their wedding, or the stage fright that leads to someone not feeling well and running for the bathroom.

1. Stress and Gut Function: Stress can affect the movement and contractions of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to increased inflammation and exacerbating conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Stress may also trigger symptoms such as nausea, heartburn, indigestion, and, yes, even bloating.

2. Neurotransmitter Production: The gut microbiota influences the production of neurotransmitters, which can be disrupted by issues such as anxiety, depression, or stress-response, potentially leading to digestive problems.

3. Gut Motility and Secretion: Emotions can alter gut motility and secretion of stomach juices affecting how food is digested and absorbed. You might feel the urge to run to the bathroom more (or less) often. As well, your stomach may gurgle because of the gut-brain axis.

Impact of Gut Health on Mental Health

1. Neurotransmitter Regulation: The gut microbiota produces neurotransmitters that influence mood and cognitive functions. An imbalance in the gut microbiota, known as dysbiosis, has been linked to mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Brain fog, confusion, memory issues can point back to gut dysbiosis.

2. Inflammation and Mental Health: Inflammation in the gut can lead to increased levels of inflammatory cytokines in the bloodstream, which are associated with depression and other mental health conditions. “Inflammation in the brain” leads to all sorts of mental health issues.

3. Microbiome and Resilience: Research suggests that individuals with higher resilience to stress have a distinct gut microbiome composition, which may offer insights into new therapeutic approaches for mental health.

Improving Gut and Mental Health

1. Dietary Interventions: Consuming foods rich in probiotics (e.g., fermented foods) and prebiotics (e.g., high-fibre foods) can improve gut health and potentially enhance mental well-being. Remember that short-term changes need to be put in place for the long term to take effect.

2. Stress Management: Techniques like meditation and cognitive-behavioral therapy can help manage stress, which in turn benefits both gut health and mental health. Getting ample sleep at night is your very best friend when it comes to gut health and mental health.

3. Probiotics and Supplements: Probiotics have shown promise in mitigating symptoms of anxiety and depression by restoring a healthy balance of gut bacteria. Working with a professional to ensure you’re getting the right bacteria to maximize the hard work you put in throught diet, exercise, lifestyle, and rest is key.

Problems arising from the root cause may come back to haunt its origin. What I mean is, gut dysbiosis due to eating a processed food diet that led to depression may further lead to more gut dysbiosis. A closed loop system.

So, how can we effectively make change through diet and exercise? And sleep. Please don’t forget sleep! Let’s get into it.

Feeding the Gut-Brain Axis

The gut and brain communicate through various pathways, including the vagus nerve and neuroendocrine signaling. This communication network is influenced by the gut microbiome, which can be altered by dietary choices.

Foods that are rich in probiotics, such as fermented plant-based yogurts, miso, kimchi, and sauerkraut, help populate the gut with beneficial bacteria.

Prebiotics, found in fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, serve as food for these beneficial microbes, promoting a healthy gut environment.

Gut bugs for mental health

Research indicates that a well-balanced gut microbiome can positively impact how we deal with stress, our memory, depression, and even satiety. A focus on eating whole, plant-based foods, enhances neurotransmitter production, such as serotonin, which is crucial for mood regulation. Leafy greens, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are excellent sources of tryptophan, an amino acid necessary for serotonin synthesis.

Try this recipe for optimizing your tryptophan-rich snacking: Seed Crackers

To put this all into action, I highly recommend this Miso White Bean Dip to enjoy with these stellar Seed Crackers. It’s a delicious and easy way to combine the probiotic benefits of miso with the prebiotic properties of beans. It’s also an excellent choice for supporting gut health. Pair it with fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi for an added boost.

Try this Miso White Bean Dip with your Seed Crackers: Miso White Bean Dip