Getting Rid of Depression and Anxiety: How to Eat for Better Mental Health

AHA Publisher — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 07:00:13 +0000

Stephanie Woods via NaturalHealth365 – The foods that you eat not only impact your waistline and your physical health, but they also affect the way you think and feel. You’ve probably always heard that you are what you eat – and it’s true, what you put in your body matters. But, according to a review published in the March 2021 issue of Frontiers of Nutrition, it’s what you feed your brain that really counts. Your “Second Brain” Is Smarter Than You Think Your gastrointestinal system plays an integral role in not only your physical health but in your mood and mental health as well. This is because scientists have found that neural tissue doesn’t only exist in our brains. It lines our gut as well. This network of neurotransmitters does a lot more than just regulate digestion. It is connected to the brain, and it is a key influence in diseases in the body and mental state. They’ve dubbed it out “second brain.” The technical name for our second brain is the enteric nervous system. While it doesn’t help with decision-making or your deep thoughts, it still has much to do. Yes, it does regulate the digestion process and gut behavior, but it is far more complex than that. It is estimated that 90% of the primary visceral nerve fibers transport information to the brain from the gut. This is contrary to what was traditionally believed. The enteric nervous system is also a producer of serotonin – to the tune of 95% of serotonin in the entire body is found in the bowels. This is also likely why certain antidepressants like SSRIs have side effects that include gastrointestinal issues. So, it’s no wonder that diet plays such an important part in mental wellbeing. Scientists Link Brain and Gut Health, Connect Nutrition and Mental Health The foods that you choose to put into your body directly impact your second brain. If you put junk in, it feeds the “bad” bacteria that lives in your gut. This can lead to many health problems, including anxiety and depression. However, your mental health often improves when you focus on nutrition and put the good stuff in. Promoting the idea that a poor diet has a negative impact on mood is not new. Doctors made that connection long ago. However, now that they have linked the second brain and connected all the dots, it makes perfect sense that when you feed that brain in your gut a healthy diet, it will significantly impact your mental health. But both the brain in your skull and the brain in your gut work together, so, make no mistake, the quality of your diet is everything. “Brainbuster” Foods Negatively Impact Mood; Here Are the Top Offenders Some foods are simply not good for you but aren’t detrimental to your health. Then some foods directly affect your brain and gut in ways that can have lasting effects. Nutrients and foods you should avoid include: Foods high in sodium Sugar Factory-farm meats High amounts of toxic fat Artificial sweeteners Overly processed foods Dehydration Zinc deficiency should also be avoided. It can lead to depression as well as poor immunity. Another nutrient that you need to watch out for is low B12. Folate, B12, and B6 help keep your homocysteine levels low. High homocysteine has been linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, cognitive decline, and brain atrophy. Loading Up On “Brain Boosters” Benefit Brain and Gut Health in Multiple Ways Foods that can strengthen your brain and gut, improving your mood and mental wellbeing, are part of a healthy diet. Great brain and gut health diets you might try are the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. Doctors and nutritionists highly recommend both. Some of those brain-boosting foods include: Whole grains Foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids Leafy greens Fresh fruit Colorful vegetables Olive oil Berries Legumes and beans Fermented foods like sauerkraut, pickles, and miso Wild caught seafood Obviously, organic quality foods are your best choice. In addition, make sure to incorporate probiotics and prebiotics into your diet as well. The main point is clear: maintaining a well-balanced diet is essential for a healthy body, gut, and brain. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov ScientificAmerican.com To read the original article click here.

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Why You Should “Trust Your Gut” — Your Second Brain

AHA Publisher — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 08:00:40 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Have you ever had a “gut feeling” about something? Well, it turns out you may want to pay attention to that feeling because researchers now consider the gut to be the “second brain” of the human body! It turns out there are more than 100 million neurons in your intestinal system. Referred to as the “enteric nervous system,” this brain in the gut acts very similarly to the brain in the head. The gut can receive impulses, record experiences, and respond to emotions. The Micro-Biome and Neurotransmitters The 100 million neurons in the gut interact with chemicals that control their function called neurotransmitters. It turns out that a large portion of the neurotransmitters in the body are produced by bacteria in the gut! These bacteria make up what is called the micro-biome. This refers to the ecosystem of bacteria in your gut. The micro-biome is responsible for creating up to 90% of the body’s serotonin and about 50% of the body’s dopamine. Moreover, the intestines produce and co-regulate 30 other neurotransmitters that are utilized by the central nervous system to regulate mood, stress levels, sleep patterns, mental functioning and a number of other essential body processes. Obviously, the second brain is responsible for much more than just digestion. So maybe those gut feelings actually are giving you some valuable information! However, the true nature of this incredibly complex system is still under research. Your Gut Affects Your Mind A study published in Gastroenterology showed that women who were given probiotic yogurt twice a day for 4 weeks had a calmer and more controlled reaction when shown images of various facial expressions. The bacteria in the yogurt included Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains which are found in Dr. Colbert’s Beyond Biotics Ultra Blend Probiotics formula. Other research in mice has correlated certain strains of gut bacteria with anxiety. Mice specifically raised to have no bacteria in their gut were inoculated with bacteria from the guts of anxious mice. The inoculated mice then proceeded to exhibit anxious behavior. This has huge implications in how powerfully the bacteria in our gut can affect how we feel. Heal Your Gut, Heal Your Mind If you or your loved ones suffer from mental disorders such as anxiety or depression, then this research is incredibly promising. By taking steps to balance and improve the health of your gut you can make positive changes in how you feel on a day-to-day basis. Here are a few tips to help you heal your gut: Reduce Your Added Sugar Intake – Pathogenic bacteria thrive on high sugar diets Eat More Fermented Foods – This includes sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, kvass, and raw cheese. Use a High Quality Probiotic – Living Probiotic, Living Chia, and Fermented Green Supremefood are all good options. Eat More Healthy Fats – Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, and Maximum MCT Oil all help subdue pathogenic bacteria. Eat your fats away from your probiotics so that you do not kill off the good guys! Implementing these simple changes will help balance the bacterial diversity in your gut making you more mentally and physically resilient so that the next time you get a “gut feeling” you will know that you can trust it! More and more, science is proving that a healthy digestive system is the key to a healthy brain and body—and the power to keep your gut healthy lies directly with you! Get Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone book today to help you understand the connection between your gut and your health. You will learn that whatever inflames your gut will eventually inflame your brain and the rest of your body. Making the right food choices will become the medicine in which you will walk and live in divine health. References https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/06/gut-bacteria-on-the-brain/395918/ http://www.psyking.net/id36.htm https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

The post Why You Should “Trust Your Gut” — Your Second Brain appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

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Getting Rid of Depression and Anxiety: How to Eat for Better Mental Health

Why You Should “Trust Your Gut” — Your Second Brain