How Your Gut Health Relates to Anxiety & Depression

The relationship between gut health, anxiety, and depression is complex and interconnected. Emerging research suggests that the state of your gut microbiome can influence your mental well-being

Glenn Burgess

Can our mood get better if we eat better? Research on the connection between our gut and brain is finding that we can help ease common feelings like anxiety by eating foods that make our gut happy. Lots of studies now show that certain good bacteria in our gut are linked to problems like depression and inflammation.

So, it’s really important to eat a mix of healthy foods to make sure we have all the right gut bacteria we need. But how exactly do our gut and our mood team up to affect our health?

Gut Health And Anxiety

Researchers at the Shanghai Medical Health Center examined over 21 studies to see how food affects anxiety. They found some interesting results. In 14 of the studies that used probiotics, only 36% of them showed that probiotics helped reduce anxiety. But here’s the twist: in six out of seven studies that changed people’s diets (without probiotics), they found it effective in lowering anxiety.

The researchers believe that shifting to a diverse diet with different energy sources might help good gut bacteria grow better than just taking specific probiotics. They also suggest that, in addition to using psychiatric drugs, we can think about improving our gut health to ease anxiety symptoms.

According to Time Magazine and HIF, making important changes to your diet can lead to a longer and happier life. A Mediterranean-style diet, which includes lean proteins, fruits, veggies, pulses, and healthy Omega-3 fats, is recommended.

This diet not only creates a good environment for helpful gut bacteria but also keeps your heart healthy by helping you maintain a healthy weight. Since obesity is becoming a big problem, taking care of your gut by eating a diverse, healthy diet is a smart choice for both kids and adults.

Gut Bacteria And Depression

In a study published in February 2019, reported by VIB and the journal Nature Microbiology, researchers delved into the connection between specific gut bacteria and depression. Their findings revealed a consistent pattern: people who experience depression tend to have lower levels of two particular types of microbiota, namely coprococcus and dialister.

Having a diverse range of gut bacteria appears to play a protective role for the brain. As Mireia Valles-Colomer points out, various microorganisms have different positive effects on our bodily systems.

For example, one substance, which is a by-product of the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter dopamine, is associated with an improved mental quality of life. This suggests that maintaining a healthy balance of gut bacteria may have a positive impact on our mental well-being.

Depleted Microbiota Levels Disrupt Brain Connection

Scientists have long recognized a strong connection between gut health and mental well-being, but the exact reasons remained unclear until a 2019 study conducted by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell’s Ithaca Campus shed light on the matter.

This connection revolves around the intricate molecular-level interaction between the gut and the brain. In this study, mice were given antibiotics to reduce their levels of gut microbiota, and the results were telling. These mice showed a significant impairment in their ability to learn when a source of danger was no longer present.

The researchers concluded that low levels of microbiota can negatively impact genes within cells, disrupting the connections between brain cells crucial for the learning process.

Furthermore, the study revealed alterations in specific substances linked to conditions like schizophrenia and autism in the mice with depleted gut bacteria levels. This discovery highlights the profound impact that gut health can have on brain function and the development of certain mental health disorders.

What Foods Promote Good Gut Health?

The Mediterranean diet is a great way to introduce a variety of foods that benefit your gut. This diet emphasizes the importance of fiber, which plays a significant role in gut health. In contrast, the typical Western diet is low in fiber but high in sugar, fat, emulsifiers, & red meat.

This can lead to the production of harmful byproducts that are detrimental to the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. However, diets that include fish instead of red meat, seasonal fruits and vegetables, probiotics, and healthy fats create optimal conditions for a thriving microbiome.

These conditions support the production of important peptides and enhance the immune response. On the other hand, high-sugar and junk food diets promote inflammation, which can contribute to various health issues, from skin aging to heart disease.

Prolonged consumption of a diet lacking in dietary fiber can damage the protective mucus barrier in the gut and lead to an overgrowth of bacteria that degrade it further. When the mucus barrier is compromised, we become more susceptible to infections.

Therefore, a diet that’s high in fiber and low in sugar should not only be seen as a way to improve mental health but also as a means to strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of diseases like obesity, diabetes, and even lung diseases and asthma. The Mediterranean diet is a great example of such a beneficial dietary approach.

In recent research conducted this year, significant progress has been made in uncovering the crucial connection between gut health and our mental and overall well-being. Two widespread mental health conditions, anxiety and depression, have been found to be linked to the gut.

Additionally, various chronic diseases that can reduce both the length and quality of life also have ties to gut health. To promote both your mental and physical well-being, consider incorporating a healthy and diverse diet into your daily routine.

You can further enhance your health by including some probiotic foods in your diet, whether it’s on a daily or weekly basis. These steps can contribute to a happier and healthier life.