How To Connect Your Gut & Brain

Do our gut and brain talk to one another?? YUP! Research shows that indeed our gut and brain communicate in many ways and affect one another (1,3,4,7). The gut and brain function as a two way highway; meaning our gut microbes can affect our brain and mood and vice versa-our brain and our mindfulness can affect our microbiome (1,7). For example, can your gut affect your happiness? Absolutely! The majority of our “happy hormone” serotonin is produced in the gut and therefore is influenced by the particular bacteria there (2). This hormone is greatly involved in regulating our mood and emotions. Without optimizing our gut health, we may not be able to produce adequate amounts of this neurotransmitter; contributing to mood imbalances like anxiety and depression (3).

How about the brain affecting the gut? Stress inhibits the vagus nerve and can have negative effects on our gut and the healthy bacteria contained in it (6). Research is addressing this vagus nerve inhibition by the brain as one of the causes of gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and conditions of IBD like Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis (4,5). Patients with IBS and IBD have been shown to have a low vagal tone and signs of peripheral inflammation (4).

To summarize, our gut and brain are intimately intertwined and communicate with one another, regularly. Supporting our gut-brain connection in turn offers healthy functioning and balancing of both - a happy gut and a happy mind. AND, for those of you suffering from IBS or IBD, this is a holistic way of supporting improvement and healing from symptoms! How can you support the homeostasis or balance of this gut-brain axis? Check out my tips below!

3 Ways To Support Your Gut & Brain Connection:

1. Eat Plants

   Eating many kinds of colorful foods will in turn support microbial diversity. More specifically, choose to expand and diversify the plant-rich foods that you’re eating-from non-starchy veggies like asparagus and cabbage to starchy veggies like colorful sweet potatoes and radishes! Don’t forget fruit; apples contain a rich source of the prebiotic fiber pectin-a source of fuel for your healthy gut bacteria (ie probiotics). Unripe banana is another source of prebiotic-rich fruit! Changing up from your routine and eating smaller quantities of many types of veggies vs the same ones over and over will support a healthier microbiome. Need some inspo? Check out this simple and prebiotic-rich, colorful recipe!

2. Mind Your Environment

   Clean up sources of gut-disruptive foods and environmental influences where you can-purchasing organic fruits and vegetables according to the dirty dozen list is one way to start! Choosing glyphosate residue free brands ensures you are eating products that have not been sprayed with this gut-disruptive pesticide. Minimize use of antibacterial soaps and chlorine based cleaners (I like this chlorine-free brand)-these have been shown to disrupt our healthy gut bacterial balance. Consider reducing or eliminating foods known to be gut-disruptive such as gluten, refined sugar and artificial colors/flavors/sweeteners.

3. Activate Your Vagus Nerve

   As mentioned above, vagus nerve stimulation helps restore balance to the gut-brain axis as it is a major activator of the parasympathetic nervous system or the ‘rest and digest response’(4). What activities stimulate the vagus nerve? Yoga, deep breathing, humming (think OMs at the beginning or end of a yoga class!) or gargling can all be ways to activate the vagus nerve and ultimately, calm your nervous system to support gut-brain connection (4,5)

Looking for more individualized healing support for your gut? Schedule a complimentary consult call with me! My approach to nutrition is not only focused on the food that you eat but also the context that you eat it in to offer the most holistic and sustainable approach to your healing.

References:

1. How positive emotions build physical health

2. Early gut bacteria regulate happiness

3. Influence of Tryptophan and Serotonin on Mood and Cognition with a Possible Role of the Gut-Brain Axis

4. The Vagus Nerve at the Interface of the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

5. Vagus nerve stimulation: a new promising therapeutic tool in inflammatory bowel disease

6. Vagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain–Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders

7. Microbiome labs webinar ‘Understanding the Gut Brain Connection’