GUT MICROBES
Trillions of friendly gut microbes help us digest food, create vitamins, and protect us from harmful microbes. They also have mood-boosting and stress-reducing functions.
GUT MICROBES AND PROBIOTICS
The microbes that live in our guts are known as our “gut microbiota.” The microbes that we can ingest are known as “probiotics.”
“Probiotics” are live organisms that you can eat, drink, or take as a supplement. They turn milk into yogurt and cabbage into sauerkraut, and they are great for both your gut health and mental health. Special probiotics that have mental health benefits are called “psychobiotics” (psycho = mental health, and biotics = live). They are live organisms that can benefit our psyche.
PROBIOTIC-RICH FOODS AND SUPPLEMENTS
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can be found in certain foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, and kimchi. You can also consume them in the form of kefir or kombucha. If you prefer taking supplements, it’s best to consult your healthcare provider to identify which one is suitable for you. Typically, it’s recommended to choose a refrigerated probiotic supplement that has at least 10 billion active cultures. Additionally, it’s advisable to opt for a product that has been “third-party tested,” indicating that someone outside the company has tested it and confirmed its quality. It’s also important to read the label carefully before taking any supplements. The most researched probiotics are of the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus types.
GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION
It may not seem obvious or intuitive, but your body is interconnected in many ways, and more research is focusing on the “microbiota-gut-brain axis.” It’s the very complex connection between your gut, its microbes, and your brain. This new field has been called a “paradigm shift in neuroscience.”
There are a number of ways that we’re beginning to understand how our gut microbes can affect our brain. One is via the “vagus” nerve, which is a nerve that directly connects your gut to your brain. The other way is through “biochemical messengers.” Biochemicals are made in your gut and travel throughout the body to communicate with other organs, including your brain. Examples of biochemicals include:
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Short-chain fatty acids.
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Cytokines.
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Even tryptophan (the amino acid that the neurotransmitters melatonin and serotonin are made from).
The exciting thing is that this may help us with not only mood and stress, but the microbiota-gut-brain axis may one day prove to be helpful for other conditions like Autism and Parkinson’s.
MOOD, STRESS, AND YOUR MICROBES
Studies have shown that stressed rodents have increased stress hormones, behaviors, and different gut microbes. Research has also suggested that high levels of stress hormones in pregnant mothers result in infants with more of the “bad” gut microbes.
Research has found that probiotics can alter behavior and brain neurochemistry. Several animal and human studies have reported positive effects on behavior and mood with probiotic supplements.
One study found that individuals who took probiotics had reduced brain activity for negative and aggressive thoughts, as evidenced by brain MRI tests.
Overall, there is much exciting research on the positive effects of probiotics on moods and stress.
PREBIOTICS
We talked about the benefits of consuming probiotic-rich food. Once the gut microbes take up residence in our guts, we need to feed them!
Prebiotics are food for gut microbes and, when fermented in the gut, produce specific changes in bacterial composition or activity. They are your friendly gut microbes’ favorite delicacies, so they’ll happily grow and multiply. Prebiotics are basically foods that contain fiber. Things like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Even dark chocolate (preferably with at least 70% cocoa). Foods that are particularly high in prebiotics include jicama, asparagus, avocado, whole grains, and allium vegetables like onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots.