Sometimes, we feel anxious and irritable for seemingly no good reason. When it’s after a night of drinking or having done little exercise for weeks, we can rationalize it. But when it comes out of nowhere, we often miss one common reason: an unhealthy gut.
While life’s stresses play out, the sensation of butterflies isn’t just metaphorical. A complex network plays out in the gut-brain connection, and this communication network links your digestive system directly to your emotional centers.
The Gut-Brain Axis
The gut-brain axis isn’t a simple, one-way connection, it’s a bidirectional highway that is difficult for science to fully understand. What we do know, though, is that the vagus nerve is what provides a direct physical link.
The immune system is what reports messages about inflammation. Your endocrine system uses hormones to communicate. But again, it’s important to know these signals travel both ways. So, mental stress can trigger digestive issues, and digestive issues can trigger mental stress.
Your Mood-Regulating Microbiome
Your gut hosts trillions of microbes. Bacteria fungi viruses are what’s collectively known as the microbiome. This is an ecosystem that shapes your emotions – they’re basically chemical factories. Around 90% of serotonin (the “happy” hormone) is produced in your gut biome, and the bacteria, GABA, here is known for calming you down.
Perhaps the most concerning thing is gut inflammation, which is caused by a poor diet and alcohol. This can create imbalance within your hormonal balance, and this affects stress resilience and mood problems.
Nurturing Your Gut for a Happier Mind
Fortunately, it’s within your control to support your gut health, even if it’s too complex to fully understand. If food intolerances are causing a lot of your digestive issues and flare-ups, then digestive enzyme supplements like lactase can ease symptoms and promote a healthier gut.
As for diet, fermented foods like kimchi, kefir and sauerkraut contain probiotics, while fruit, vegetables and legumes contain prebiotics which help feed the microbes.
What we can expect more and more are the offerings of precision nutrition. This is where detailed microbiome testing helps personalize your dietary and supplement recommendations. This likely won’t come from central or national healthcare organizations, but private companies.
When the Gut Suffers So Does the Mind
An imbalance in gut microbes is known as dysbiosis. It can wreak havoc, and it’s why poor diet and stress are often spoken about together. An overuse of antibiotics can strip down this ecosystem, removing both good and bad bacteria, and you may need to rebuild it using probiotics.
Dysbiosis is what can leads to increased gut permeability, sometimes referred to as “leaky gut”. This is where bacteria and inflammatory molecules enter the bloodstream, triggering chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the entire body – including the brain. This shows that it’s not just your mood that’s impacted by your gut, but your entire body.
Your Gut Feelings Matter
The connection between your gut and your brain is undeniable. And, although we don’t yet fully understand it, we know enough to help ourselves. So, the next time you’re feeling down, or anxious, question what you’ve been putting in your body and its impact.
