How Nourishing Your Body Nourishes Your Mind

Home

Nutrition

How Nourishing Your Body Nouri...

Healthy Balance

Caroline Molakkal

May 07 , 2024

Has your stomach ever hurt so much that you get frustrated? Or maybe constant bloating and constipation that leaves you anxious about how your next day will be? Or what if you experience it on such a daily basis that you don’t even know how it’s affecting your mental state anymore? What if you’re experiencing a mental problem right now, without knowing that a key factor is your gastrointestinal functioning?

“That sounds ridiculous, how can a stomach problem cause a mental problem?”

Oh, but it can! The body is like a choir performance, whose success depends on a combination of each individual singer’s skill, and the coordination of the singers together. Many people view the factors for mental issues as only external, but like the choir, internal causes like each singer’s skill also matter. We shouldn’t limit our thinking of what the reasons for certain issues could be.

The Gut-Brain Axis: Understanding the Connection

Why would a mental process like stress affect our gastrointestinal processes in the first place? The microbiota-gut brain axis is a bidirectional communication network between the gut bacteria and the brain. Research done by Jeremy Appleton in 2018 shows that this network allows the brain to influence intestinal activities. Simultaneously, it allows the gut to influence mood, cognition, and, you guessed it, our mental health.

So, since it goes both ways, several mood disorders like anxiety and depression can occur due to gastrointestinal disruptions, while gut issues like IBS can occur due to alteration of the gut microbiome.

This axis has 4 major pathways: neurologic, endocrine, humoral/metabolic, and immune. Each pathway has important functions in controlling our mood, respectively:

Producing local neurotransmitters such as Serotonin and Acetylcholine.
Affecting Cortisol and Norepinephrine secretion.
Secretion of Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) impacting hormone activity and affecting behaviour.
Influencing inflammation and altering gut permeability.

Photo by DoorDash Team on Unsplash

Numbers Don’t Lie!

So, what exactly can our gut health do to our mental wellbeing? Research done by Järbrink-Sehgal and Anna Andreasson in 2020 found various results.

Participants given probiotics reported higher positive effects and reduced mental fatigue. A different group of participants, those with depression, had an increased BDI (Beck’s Depression Inventory) score when given a probiotic, compared to those given prebiotics or placebos. Finally, another group of participants reported improved anxiety and stress symptoms when given probiotics. Additionally, an altered gut microbiome was seen in participants with general anxiety disorder compared to control participants.

Thus, we can safely say that our gut health can indeed affect our mental health, but now how do we use this information to our advantage?

Photo by Emma Simpson Team on Unsplash

Strategies for Nourishing Your Gut and Mind

You are what you eat, and so eating well keeps you well. Here are some eating habits to keep yourself healthy, physically and mentally:

Consume probiotic-rich foods: As demonstrated in the research experiment above, probiotics improve mood and reduce negative symptoms. Some probiotic foods include kombucha, yoghurt, paneer, curd, idli, dosa, apples, and whole wheat bread.
Consume high-fibre foods: Fibre is a prebiotic that nourishes gut microbiota. It improves gut health by promoting regular bowel movements and supporting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. High-fibre foods include bread, cereals, fruits, vegetables, beans, and legumes.
Drink sufficient water: Water assists in the breakdown of food, allowing the body to absorb nutrients. It also softens the stool, preventing constipation. 2 litres of water is recommended for everyone, although it may be higher for some people based on their personal/labour needs.
Eat slowly: Chewing food slowly and not talking while eating prevents air intake, which could otherwise cause bloating or digestive discomfort. Additionally, eating slowly helps you eat less - it gives your brain the necessary time to receive signals from hormones released by your gut after eating This effectively curbs appetite and prevents overeating, which could be the case if you eat too quickly.
Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep causes hormonal changes, especially causing the stress hormone Cortisol to increase. This can lead to bloating, inflammation, and changes to the gut microbiome. Sleep deprivation can also cause cravings for higher-carb or sugary foods.
Exercise regularly: Exercising promotes healthy gut bacteria, and improves circulation throughout the body. Studies have shown that people who are more physically active tend to have healthier guts.

It is important to keep in mind that while we should try to ensure that our gut is in good health, it’s not the only factor involved in wellbeing. We must look into every possible variable when inspecting mental health. If you cannot pinpoint the exact cause, don’t hesitate to visit Heart It Out for a free diagnostic test, or speak to one of our highly qualified and experienced therapists. We Heart You!