Boost your gut good bacteria to improve your mood

Don't you get butterflies in your stomach when you are nervous or excited. That's because your gut has its own extensive set of neurons called the enteric nervous system (often called the second brain) which is connected to your brain through the vagus nerve.

Thus it is quite logical to believe that your dietary habits have an impact on your brain and influences your mood.

Nearly 90 % of the neurotransmitter Serotonin which governs memory, mood, emotions, digestion, sleep and pain is produced in the gut. This makes it essential to eat clean and easily digestible food.

Research also show that your gut microbiota (the huge collection of microorganisms residing in your gastrointestinal tract) produce substances that mimic the neurotransmitters which governs mood, sends them up to the brain and is thus responsible for feel-good or fight-or-flight response.

These microbial colonies forms a three pound mass of a virtual organ roughly the same weight as that of the brain. What is fascinating is the fact 90% of the cells in our bodies are actually these bacterial cells.

The beneficial microbes in the gut is constantly at war with the harmful microbes to maintain a balance. If for some unhealthy dietary changes this balance is disturbed and the pathogens take over your gut they can release stress chemicals which can depress your mood. Thus by promoting a healthy gut flora you can boost your mood and steer clear from anxiety and depression.

Studies showed that patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and depression showed reduced depression symptoms when they took probiotics.

It is therefore essential to maintain a healthy gut flora by including a lot of fiber in your diet, taking prebiotic, probiotic and fermented foods.

Prebiotics which promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut are nuts, artichokes, apples, honey, onion, garlic, asparagus, whole grains, green tea, red wine, chickpeas, chocolate, lentils, chickpeas and beans.




What we can conclude is that the mind affects the gut just as the same way the gut affects the mind. We need to manage both in order to improve our quality of living. It seems that we reside in a complex body where emotions, mood, digestion and reflexes are interconnected through a massive web of neural circuitry.