Don’t Ignore Your Gut
This month's guest expert feature comes from Nutritionist and Naturopath Caroline Peyton. Over her 15 years of practice, she has helped hundreds of clients gain relief from digestive discomfort, becoming renowned as a digestive gut health expert.
90% of disease starts in the gut and the gut, together with its microbiome, is now so important to health that it is considered an organ in its own right. With wow factors like these, we really can’t afford to ignore this overlooked “body system” as if it is somehow irrelevant to how we feel.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the “gut-brain” link? And if you haven't, where have you been hiding?! So just what is the gut microbiome? How does it influence our mental health? In what other ways does the gut influence our physical health and wellbeing? And what can we do to ensure it’s working for us and not against us?
A little overview of the gut microbiome
It is a diverse ecosystem of micro-organisms mainly bacteria, but also viruses, fungi and even parasites (they’re not all considered bad). It’s a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship which means if we take care of them they will take care of us. We each have approximately 100 trillion microbes—equivalent to ten times the number of cells in our body. You have more microbes in your gut than there are people in the world!
When everything is in balance, there should be harmony supporting our health both mental and physical. But too often chaos can occur, resulting in an overgrowth of pathogenic micro-organisms leading to an imbalance known as dysbiosis. This in turn can affect our mental and physical health.
The Gut-Brain Connection
There is a separate nervous system connecting the gut directly with the brain called the enteric nervous system. There is a two-way flow of information—each influencing the other. That feeling of butterflies in your stomach? Or feeling sick before an important event? These really do happen and show the enteric nervous system in operation.
We know that large emotional triggers can cause upset in the gut and research now also shows that this happens the other way round. The gut is influencing our mind and behaviour. This explains why people who experience IBS and bowel irregularity may also experience depression and anxiety. With children, research has shown that children with ADHD often have gut disorders like IBS too.
Neurotransmitters
The gut and brain are communicating through a series of neurotransmitters—chemicals that act like hormones sending communications.
Serotonin is a well-known neurotransmitter associated with calmness and happiness. It is also linked to improved sleep and feeling less stressed. 90% of all the serotonin in the body is produced in the gut—far more than in the brain. GABA is another neurotransmitter that helps control feelings of anxiety and fear. The production of these neurotransmitters is directly related to the presence of beneficial gut bacteria. The deficiency of certain bacteria has been shown in research to lead to increased levels of depression and/or anxiety.
Physical Health
The health of the gut and microbiome has been shown in multiple studies to have an influence on the risk of developing diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even autoimmune conditions. The beneficial microbiota produce several compounds (known as short chain fatty acids) that promote a healthy gut barrier, support glucose and fat metabolism, promote the production of other healthy beneficial bacteria and crowd out space for pathogens. Stool testing has identified a correlation between obese and overweight individuals and a more dysbiotic (pathogenic) picture.
Imbalances
We have a delicate balance between beneficial bacteria (that support our health) and pathogenic bacteria that can damage it—dysbiosis.
A lack of beneficial gut microbiota diversity plays a role in the development of depression. Antibiotic use (which depletes beneficial bacteria) may increase the risk of depression. Certain strains of pathogenic bacteria shed toxins that enhance the stress response and we know that long term chronic stress is detrimental to our overall health. Pathogenic bacteria create toxins that may damage the gut lining and create inflammation which has been shown to enhance depression, anxiety and systemic inflammation like skin conditions.
So how do we support our gut microbiome and health?
Polyphenol-rich foods: Polyphenols are plant compounds that help the growth of beneficial bacteria and have been linked to improved cognition too. Pomegranate, cranberries, plums, berries, flaxseed, green tea, olive oil and coffee (in moderation) all contain polyphenols.
Prebiotic-like foods: These feed the beneficial bacteria to support their abundance and diversity. Leeks, onions, garlic, fennel, oats, almonds, brown rice, blackcurrants, green tea, very dark chocolate (in moderation!).
Colonic foods: These are fermented by gut bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and these promote the growth of further beneficial bacteria. Such as psyllium husk, slippery elm and pectin. One of my favourite gut nourishing foods for depleted individuals is stewed apple (skinned, no sugar, with cinnamon). Apples are a rich source of pectin so eat a little every day.
High-fibre foods: Whole grains like brown rice (and avoiding gluten grains like wheat and rye), nuts, seeds, pulses, fruit and vegetables all contain soluble and insoluble fibre that help to keep transit time regular, helps elimination of toxins and lowers the risk of inflammatory conditions. Aim to increase your daily vegetable intake and have as much diversity and colour as possible.
Fermented foods: We are more familiar with these functional foods now—from yoghurt, kefir, to sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha. The fermentation process increases levels of beneficial bacteria particularly lactic acid bacteria. They have been shown to beneficially enhance brain activity.
Eating these foods should become a way of life. The hidden community of bacteria is driving many aspects of our mental health. Do all you can to keep your brain healthy by taking care of your microbiome.