Gut-Brain Axis
Gut & Mental Health
Gut Health Is Connected to Mental Health via Gut-Brain Axis
You will learn:
Introduction
The gut-brain axis is the connection between our gut and brain, and it plays a crucial role in mental health and overall well-being. For example, recent research shows that the health of our gut microbiota can directly impact our moods and even affect mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the gut-brain axis, how gut health is connected to mental health, and, most importantly, tips for improving gut health to boost mental health and overall wellness. So, are you ready to take control of your gut-brain axis and unlock the secret to a happier and healthier life? Keep reading to find out more.
1. What Is the Gut-Brain Axis?
Everyone is familiar with experiences like having butterflies in their stomach before talking to a group of people or having a sinking feeling in the gut when faced with danger. Our knowledge of the gut-brain connection sheds new light on why these phenomena occur and what they tell us about the interconnection between the mind and body.
The gut-brain axis is a two-way communication network between the gut microbiota and the emotional and cognitive centers in the human brain. However, the gut-brain axis is not only a highway for messages between the brain and organs of the gut. In addition, recent research reveals that this messaging system also involves signals directly from the gut microbiota inhabiting our digestive system, allowing them to talk to and receive information from the central nervous system via hormones, immune cells, and neurotransmitters. [1]
This remarkable communication system does more than allow our gut microbiome to talk back and forth with the central nervous system about digestion and appetite. We are beginning to discover that the gut-brain connection also relays information that affects our moods, motivation, and cognitive processes and plays a crucial role in regulating immune response, hormones, intestinal permeability, and homeostasis.
This exquisitely complex system functions through the central nervous system, the enteric nervous system, immune cells, and the longest nerve in the body, the vagus nerve. Gut-brain communication relies on the trillions of gut microbes living inside our gastrointestinal tract to tell the brain about the body’s internal environment and to respond to signals from the brain that affect the absorption of nutrients and toxins and, no doubt, other information we have yet to discover.
The existence of the gut-brain axis came about from research into functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs.) FGIDs are disorders of the bowels that are difficult to diagnose and do not have a clear physical cause. In the past, doctors often dismissed these complaints as psychosomatic diseases and not genuine physical health problems. However, as doctors and researchers sought the origin of these disorders, they discovered the interconnection between the gut and brain that we now call the gut-brain axis. [2]
Our new research-based understanding of this complex process is leading the way to solutions for FGIDs, which include disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), leaky gut syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease.
In addition, people with FGIDs frequently have psychological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and high-stress levels. Other research illuminates a connection between gut health and mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and autism. [3]
In the future, new treatments for FGIDs and these related mental health problems will likely come from our understanding of the gut-brain connection and the health of the microbiome in the intestines. In addition, the deepening of our understanding of the gut is also likely to lead to novel treatments for many physical and mental health conditions.
2. Gut-Brain Axis: Diseases and Dysfunctions of the Gut
Given the complexity and importance of the gut-brain connection, it is not surprising that many factors can disrupt its functionality and lead to various diseases and dysfunctions throughout the body. Many of these diseases involve the digestive tract. The gastrointestinal tract disorders most closely linked to gut microbiome health include: [4]
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease, lupus, and multiple sclerosis
- Leaky gut syndrome and increased intestinal permeability
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Functional constipation
- Functional diarrhea
- Eating disorders
The primary symptoms of many of these conditions are constipation, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort or pain, dyspepsia, regurgitation of food or gastric juices, or a combination of these complaints without an apparent alternative cause.
So far, researchers have determined that the way these dysfunctions happen is related to changes in gut motility, alterations in immune function, changes in the sensitivity of gut organs, and changes in the gut microbiota composition of beneficial bacteria in the intestines.
Additionally, nerve cells connecting the intestinal microbiota and brain play a significant role in developing these gastrointestinal tract diseases. For example, the vagus nerve travels from the brainstem throughout the body. This bundle of nerve cells represents 75% of the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions such as heartbeat, immune response, digestion, saliva production, and respiration. [5]
In addition, the vagus nerve sends signals to other bodily systems, such as the limbic system, which controls emotions, and the endocrine system, which regulates hormones. The link between the vagus nerve, the digestive system, and the limbic system might explain why people with psychiatric conditions experience abdominal pain differently than others. The vagus nerve functions may also explain how gut health affects overall physical and mental health. [6]
Of course, our gut health is intimately connected to the foods we eat. When we eat, we provide our bodies with energy and nutrients and also feed the gut microbiota living inside our intestinal tract. Unfortunately, the modern diet of processed foods, insufficient intake of fruits and vegetable, carbonated beverage consumption, and other unhealthy food choices not only deprives our human cells of the nutrition it needs but also starves the gut microbiome of vital nutrients and diverts some of its energy toward processing and disposing of toxins.
3. The Link between Gut Microbiota Health and Mental Health
Think of a time when you were really hungry, and the thought of eating caused your stomach to growl and your mouth to water. You have probably also felt knots in your stomach when angry or sad or other abdominal sensations when happy. These experiences demonstrate everyday examples of how our guts and brains are interconnected.
The organisms residing in our gut interact with our bodies via the immune system, hormones, and nerve pathways, and all of these bodily systems also influence brain function. One mechanism for this relationship between the gut and brain function appears to involve microorganisms producing neurologically active chemicals such as the neurotransmitters serotonin and GABA.
Another example of the interconnection between the gut and mind is revealed by research showing that half of all patients diagnosed with IBS also have clinically significant symptoms of depression or anxiety. In addition, researchers have discovered that the microbial composition of the gut in people with depression differs significantly from that of people without depression.
Other research shows that changing the balance of organisms in the gut can affect the stress response and even behavior in humans and animals. [7]
This connection between the gut and the brain is a two-way street: The gut can send messages to the brain, and the brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, digestive complaints can be either a cause or result of mental distress, such as mood disorders. [8]
Research is now focusing on how we can change the gut microbiome with particular foods like probiotics to treat symptoms of mental illnesses. In some research, scientists are investigating ‘psycho-biotics.’ These cocktails of gut-healthy nutrients have already been shown to alter activity in the nervous system and brain. In particular, this research has determined that the gut microbe species Bifidobacterium longum can modify electrical signals in the human brain. [9]
Gut Health and Anxiety
More than 50% of people diagnosed with IBS also have a diagnosis of anxiety or depression. Several studies have investigated healing IBS by treating anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms with psychotherapy. This research confirms that digestive health problems significantly improve when approached with mental health treatment compared to when treated solely as a medical condition. [10]
Another IBS treatment approach involves teaching people with this condition how to use techniques for relaxation. So far, results support the conclusion that reducing stress through deep breathing, yoga, or meditation can improve IBS symptoms. Another observation from research studies is that feeling stress increases visceral hypersensitivity, the perception of pain in the gastrointestinal tract. By reducing stress symptoms through relaxation, abdominal pain levels often lessen.
Gut Health and Depression
An intriguing study from Finland is helping us understand the connection between gut health and depression. In 2002, researcher Guillaume Méric and his colleagues were involved in a multi-decade project studying disease in the Finnish population with 6,000 study participants. During this research, they looked closely at the participant’s genetics, diet, lifestyle, and medication use and analyzed their gut flora. They discovered that specific areas of the genome are closely linked to the species of microbes living in a person’s gut, and some of these microbes are also closely linked to illnesses such as depression. [11]
In the case of depression, Méric’s team found one species of bacteria that appears to be pivotal in developing this mental illness: Morganella. Earlier research from 2008 also found a link between inflammation caused by Morganella bacteria and an effect on mood. While these intriguing results still need to be confirmed by further research, there appears to be a connection between depression and gut health. [12, 13]
Gut Health and Stress
Psychological health can influence gut health and vice versa, and this interconnection works in multiple ways. For example, when people are stressed, their sympathetic nervous system is activated, releasing stress hormones and initiating the ‘fight or flight’ response. These stress hormones slow down digestion which can alter the composition of gut flora. [14]
Another process interlinking stress and the gut is when the gut bacteria release toxins, metabolites, and hormones in response to stress, and these chemicals then alter mood and food choices.
For example, a change in gut flora can cause a person to alter their diet by choosing lower-quality foods that provide a quick hit of energy from sugar. These poor food choices can, in turn, affect the health and balance of gut microorganisms.
Stress can also make the gut more permeable, allowing bacteria, toxins, and partially digested food substances to cross over into the bloodstream, a dysfunction called leaky gut syndrome. When this happens, the body responds by activating the immune system, and chronic inflammation can result. The inflammation can then create a more favorable gut environment for pathogenic bacteria, which can crowd out healthy gut microorganisms. This finding has been shown in animal studies and research on human subjects, where increased stress levels in university students correlated with decreases in populations of beneficial gut bacteria. [15]
Stress and mood disorders like depression have also been shown in research to increase the permeability of the gut barrier. One study in this area investigated people in unhappy marriages, finding that couples displaying the most hostility toward one another had more permeable gut barriers than less hostile couples. Chronic stress can also alter pain perception, making the sensation more acute and less tolerable, as is often the case for people with IBS. [16]
How Gut Health Affects Overall Health
Our gut contains ten times as many microorganisms as the total human cells in the body. These trillions of microbes are integral to how our bodies function and benefit our health in numerous ways. For example, the intestinal microbiome supplies the body with vitamin K and other essential nutrients. In addition, gut flora promotes the formation of new capillaries, a process called angiogenesis and modulates the immune response. [17]
However, suppose the organisms in the gut are imbalanced due to a poor-quality diet, high stress, antibiotic use, or other lifestyle or environmental factors. In that case, various diseases become more likely, including diabetes, FGIDs, obesity, cancer, and allergies.
What we eat and how we live profoundly affects the environment inside the gut, and this, in turn, affects our overall health. For example, antibiotic use can significantly alter and reduce gut microbes, increasing the risk of other diseases for many months or even years after a person stops taking the medication. [18]
Now, let’s take an in-depth look at what you can do to keep your gut healthy to promote optimum physical and mental health.
4. Solutions for Improving Gut Health
There are many ways you can improve your gut health, thereby improving mental health and overall well-being. Among the most effective ways of keeping the gut healthy are:
- Regularly eating prebiotic and probiotic foods, plant-based foods, and drinking sufficient water
- Practicing intermittent fasting
- Getting regular exercise
- Reducing stress
- Getting sufficient sleep
- Using vitamin and mineral supplements, if needed
- Avoiding antibiotics as much as possible
- Taking a blood test to identify food intolerances
Let’s take a detailed look at each of these proactive steps you can take to improve your gut health and overall well-being.
Diet and Hydration:
Several foods support the gut microbiome, including probiotic fermented foods, prebiotics, and starches that produce short-chain fatty acids.
Probiotics are naturally fermented foods containing large numbers of microbe species that thrive in our gut. These include:
- Live-culture yogurt and kefir
- Naturally fermented kimchi, sauerkraut, and other vegetables
- Kombucha tea
- Miso, tempeh, and natto
Prebiotic foods are those containing starches that feed gut microbes. Prebiotics include:
- Onions, garlic, and leeks
- Asparagus
- Bananas
- Chicory
- Jerusalem artichokes
- Whole grains
Bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids by fermenting specific starches. Regularly including certain high-fiber foods is the best way of obtaining short-chain fatty acids, which can support health by reducing the risk for various diseases, including colon cancer, high blood sugar, and inflammatory bowel disease. To increase the levels of short-chain fatty acids in your diet, consume foods like beans, apples, citrus fruit, and avocadoes. [19]
In addition to including probiotics and prebiotics in your daily diet, a generally healthy diet includes collagen-rich foods like salmon and bone broth or as a supplement. Also, eating abundant fruits and vegetables and avoiding fast foods, prepared foods, and refined foods supports gut health.
Finally, drinking plenty of fresh water is essential for keeping the bowels moving, aiding in the health of the intestinal mucosal lining, and promoting an abundance of healthy gut microorganisms.
Intermittent Fasting:
Intermittent fasting means eating during a restricted time each day. For example, only eating between noon and 6 p.m. Intermittent fasting gives the digestive tract time to rest and regenerate and improves the balance of healthy gut microbes. [20]
Exercise:
Several research studies show that exercise, independent of diet, improves the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. Exercise also promotes the movement of food through the digestive tract and reduces stress. [21]
Stress Reduction:
High stress can directly lead to inflammation in the body, adversely affecting the populations of microorganisms in the gut. [22] Ways to reduce stress include:
- Exercising
- Practicing yoga or meditation
- Getting a massage
- Taking hot baths
- Using relaxing essential oils
- Reducing or eliminating caffeine
Sleep:
Sleep has a profound effect on health. For example, when we sleep, our immune system wakes up and accomplishes diverse tasks that benefit our overall health, including gut health. Sleep for a minimum of seven hours per night to get the full benefits of rest. [23]
Supplements:
The optimum way to get nutrients is through diet. However, in many circumstances, people need higher levels of specific nutrients than they can get from eating. In this case, taking supplements can play a vital role in maintaining health. Nutrients that are especially important for lowering inflammation and keeping the gut healthy include:
- L-glutamine
- Lactoferrin
- Omega 3-fats
- Anti-oxidants like vitamins C and E, selenium, beta-carotene, and lutein. [24]
Antibiotics:
If you have a server infection, antibiotics can save your life. However, antibiotics also destroy healthy bacteria in the gut. If you must take a regimen of antibiotics, combine it with an increase in probiotic and prebiotic foods during and for several weeks after you take the medicines to restore the balance of gut-friendly bacteria in your intestines.
Blood Tests for Food Intolerance and Sensitivity:
Eating foods that you are sensitive or allergic to can cause inflammation and other digestive problems. You can find out which foods to avoid by taking a simple blood test, such as the Alcat food intolerance test.
5. Personalized Nutrition Approaches
Personalized Diet Based on Lab Data to Improve Gut Health
Simple and effective: Find out with the Alcat food intolerance which foods that can trigger inflammation in the gut, thus, disturb the sensitive balance of the gut microbiome. In a simple blood test, immune cells are exposed to foods, additives, medications, substances in dietary supplements, and more. Identifying inflammation causing every-day nutrition factors and making simple diet adjustments can be the key to improve mental health as well.
Food intolerances are mediated by cellular defenses. The inflammatory processes that occur are often hidden – hence the term silent inflammation -, and are more difficult to detect than an immediate-type food allergy.
Cells on fire: In the resting state, neutrophil granulocytes (innate immune cell type) have a round shape. As they ingest danger-molecules or pathogens, they swell – the cell activation process begins. During a strong reaction, granulocytes can burst. Consequently, the highly toxic proinflammatory mediators – the cell’s own “arsenal of weapons”, free radicals and even DNA are released. Chronic activation of the immune system caused by food components can be associated with a wide variety of diseases (image right).
The Alcat Test includes a precise interpretation of the test results and makes a clear distinction between allergy, enzyme mediated intolerance and food intolerance, also adressed as sensitivity. It also includes the creation of a personalized profile with dietary recommendations and integrates lifestyle questions (eating out, vacations, celebrations, consumption of stimulants, stress reduction).
The Alcat Test has been validated in double-blinded studies for determining specific dietary recommendations relevant to food intolerances that might help prevent disease. → More information
This personalized diet concept allows you to address effectively underlying inflammatory processes and prevent the development of chronic diseases.
Information about the Alcat Food Inflammation Test and Cellular Micronutrient Tests
6. Conclusions and FAQ’s
Conclusion
The complex and lively interaction between the gut and brain affects our physical and mental health in many ways. Every day, researchers discover more about how gut health is connected to mental health and physical well-being. For example, gut microbes can alter food choices, affect mood, and contribute to various illnesses. By keeping the gut healthy with probiotic and prebiotic foods, exercising, reducing stress, and making other healthy lifestyle choices, you can keep the vital populations of microorganisms in your gut happy and healthy. In turn, they will boost your overall physical and mental health.
German version of this article: Darm-Hirn-Achse
FAQ’s
Does the gut-brain axis exist?
Yes. Numerous scientific studies have determined there is a crucial communication network between the gut and the brain called the gut-brain axis.
How does gut health affect the brain?
There are multiple pathways connecting the gut and brain. For example, the gut can affect the production of a variety of chemicals, such as hormones and neurotransmitters like serotonin, which affect the brain.
How does gut health help anxiety?
We still do not know everything about how gut health affects conditions like anxiety and brain health. However, research suggests that diets high in fiber, probiotic fermented foods, and omega 3-fatty acids have a beneficial effect on symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Is gut bacteria linked to depression?
Yes. Several studies show that people with unhealthy guts are more prone to depression, and depressed people have lower levels of beneficial gut bacteria.
How does stress affect the gut-brain axis?
Stress releases hormones like cortisol that can negatively impact gut health by influencing the neuro endocrine system, reducing populations of healthy gut microorganisms, and increasing visceral hypersensitivity.
Do probiotics help mental health?
Regularly eating probiotic and prebiotic foods can help healthy gut bacteria thrive and reduce populations of harmful gut microbes. In addition, current medical research suggests probiotic treatments can help people overcome mental health disorders and improve cognitive function.
How does stress affect the gut-brain axis?
Stress releases hormones like cortisol that can negatively impact gut health by influencing the neuro endocrine system, reducing populations of healthy gut microorganisms, and increasing visceral hypersensitivity.
Do probiotics help mental health?
Regularly eating probiotic and prebiotic foods can help healthy gut bacteria thrive and reduce populations of harmful gut microbes. In addition, current medical research suggests probiotic treatments can help people overcome mental health disorders and improve cognitive function.
How can I improve my brain gut connection?
You can improve your gut-brain connection by eating a healthy diet containing probiotic and prebiotic foods, staying well-hydrated, getting at least seven hours of sleep each night, reducing stress, exercising regularly, taking supplements to overcome nutritional deficiencies, and avoiding the overuse of antibiotics. In addition, an Alcat blood test can help you identify food intolerances and sensitivity that can contribute to an unhealthy gut-brain axis.
Why the gut is called a second brain?
The gut uses the enteric nervous system, which is the largest part of the autonomic nervous system. The enteric nervous system manages the diverse gastrointestinal functions separately from the central nervous system, leading to people referring to the gut as our second brain.
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Literature / Sources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/
[2]https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.4161/gmic.29417?role=button&needAccess=true&journalCode=kgmi20
[3] https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/61992/HOLINGUE-DISSERTATION-2019.pdf?sequence=1
[4] https://www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/gut-microbiome-autoimmunity/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CUnfortunately%2C%20dysbiosis%E2%80%94or%20an,multiple%20sclerosis%2C%E2%80%9D%20she%20says.
[5] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22279-vagus-nerve#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20Vagus%20Nerve,can’t%20consciously%20control%20them.
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6371005/
[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4662178/
[8] https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9721/6/3/78
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102282/
[10] https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gut-brain-connection
[11] The National FINRISK Study – THL
[12] https://www.science.org/content/article/gut-microbe-linked-depression-large-health-study
[13] Altered fecal microbiota composition in patients with major depressive disorder – PubMed (nih.gov)
[14] Investigating the role of perceived stress on bacterial flora activity and salivary cortisol secretion: a possible mechanism underlying susceptibility to illness – PubMed (nih.gov)
[15 ] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7213601/#:~:text=Additionally%2C%20stress%20and%20depression%20can,species%20may%20encourage%20dysregulated%20eating.
[16] Marital Distress, Depression, and a Leaky Gut: Translocation of Bacterial Endotoxin as a Pathway to Inflammation – PMC (nih.gov)
[17] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425030/
[18] https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Effect-of-Antibiotics-on-the-Gut-Microbiome.aspx#:~:text=Antibiotics%20can%20result%20in%20several,and%20recurring%20C%20difficile%20infections.
[19] https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/6/2/198/4558048
[20] https://sites.uci.edu/morningsignout/2019/12/14/give-that-gut-a-break-intermediate-fasting-and-healthy-gut-bacteria/
[21] https://ahs.illinois.edu/blog/exercise-can-improve-gut-health
[22]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7213601/#:~:text=Stress%20and%20depression%20can%20increase,19%E2%80%A2%E2%80%A2%2C20%5D.
[23] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/expert-answers/lack-of-sleep/faq-20057757#:~:text=Yes%2C%20lack%20of%20sleep%20can,if%20you%20do%20get%20sick.
[24] https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/antioxidants-in-depth