Gut Health & Depression
A Healthy Gut = A Healthy Brain
Have you heard of the gut-brain connection? 🧠It speaks to the influence that the digestive health and nervous system have upon one another. Quite literally, this connection is talking about the vagus nerve. This cranial nerve starts in the brainstem and swims down nearly the entire length of the digestive system. It creates a two-way route for neural, endocrine, and immunological communication. When active, it helps to stimulate digestive secretions, movement, and supports overall digestive & mental health
Let’s get into it
Our digestive system is a tube that separates our internal world from the outside world. Deciding what we absorb is a tightly regulated and precise process
The lining of our gut is basically one layer of cells. When anything threatens that barrier (toxins, infection, stress, hormonal changes, inflammation, etc.) compounds and organisms pass from the gut into the blood where they trigger an immune response. This response is carried out by chemical messengers and immune cells that circulate in the entire body. In this way, inflammation in the gut = inflammation in the body and nervous system!
Studies have shown that patients with depression have changes in their gut microbial ecosystems as well as significant systemic inflammation. In fact, healthy subjects treated with inflammatory mediators develop characteristic symptoms of depression! The microbes in our gut help to limit this inflammation, support a healthy gut barrier, as well as produce chemicals that communicate directly with the brain. Did you know that microbes help to support serotonin production?!
How to optimize brain & gut health
Support your neurochemistry by making sure you are getting enough protein! (Yes plant based babes - I’m looking at ya). Neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin are made from amino acid precursors found in protein. Without this essential building block your mood will suffer!
Your brain is made of fat! Fats like EPA/DHA are also incredibly anti-inflammatory and support healthy brain function. These oils are found primarily in algae and fish. I recommend taking either a fish based or vegan based supplement for optimal brain health.
Hum & sing! This directly stimulates your vagus nerve to help heal the gut
Take a high quality probiotic and eat fermented foods
Eat plenty of organic produce. The fiber found in these veggies and fruits provides food for microbes to produce short chain fatty acids within the gut. These are naturally healing to the cells of the colon and anti-inflammatory in nature
Limit toxic exposures like pesticides and herbicides found in conventional produce. This also includes beauty and household products.
Practice reducing stress. This is different for all of us. Going for more walks, spending more time with family or a pet, yoga, meditation, exercise, reading, etc. Spend time slowing down and focusing on you!
Try craniosacral therapy✨ This gentle hands on therapy helps to balance the autonomic nervous system
For my true nerds - check out this awesome infographic by AceVolcokStudios based on the work by Dr. Miguel Mateas
References
Benedetti, F., Lucca, A., Brambilla, F., Colombo, C., Smeraldi, E., 2002. Interleukine-6 serum levels correlate with response to antidepressant sleep deprivation and sleep phase advance. Prog. Neurop-sychophar- macol. Biol. Psychiatry 26, 1167–1170.
Maes M., Kubera M., Leunis J.C., 2008. The gut-brain barrier in major depression: intestinal mucosal dysfunction with an increased translocation of LPS from gram negative enterobacteria (leaky gut) plays a role in the inflammatory pathophysiology of depression. Neuro Endocrinol Lett, 29:117–124.
Maes M, Kubera M, Leunis J-C, Berk M., 2012. Increased IgA and IgM responses against gut commensals in chronic depression: Further evidence for increased bacterial translocation or leaky gut. Journal of Affective Disorders; 141(1):55–62. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2012.02.023.
McCusker, R.H., Kelley, K.W., 2013. Immune–neural connections: how the immune system’s response to infectious agents influences behavior. J. Exp. Biol. 216 (1), 84–98.
Nahas Z., Teneback C., Chae J.H., 2007. Serial vagus nerve stimulation functional MRI in treatment-resistant depression. Neuropsychopharmacology, 32: pp. 1649-1660
Raedler, T. J., 2011. Inflammatory mechanisms in major depressive disorder. Curr. Opin. Psychiatry, 24, 519– 525.
Steenbergen, L., Sellaro, R., Hemert, S. V., Bosch, J. A., & Colzato, L. S., 2015. A randomized controlled trial to test the effect of multispecies probiotics on cognitive reactivity to sad mood. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 48, 258-264. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2015.04.003
Wong, J.M., de Souza, R., Kendall, C.W., Emam, A., Jenkins, D.J., 2006. Colonic health: fermentation and short chain fatty acids. J. Clin. Gastroenterol. 40, 235–243.
Yano, J. M., Yu, K., Donaldson, G. P., Shastri, G. G., Ann, P., Ma, L., Nagler, C., Ismagilov, R., Mazmanian, S., and Hsiao, E. Y., 2015. Indigenous bacteria from the gut microbiota regulate host serotonin biosynthesis. Cell, 161(2), 264–276. http://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.047