You Are What You Eat: The Gut-Brain Connection
BRIDGETTE W. GOTTWALD, LPC, NCC
You are what you eat and what you eat affects how you feel. So, why aren’t we paying more attention to the things we’re putting into our bodies when they have such a drastic effect upon us? Prominent physicians have capitalized upon a new theory that may help us understand where mental illness is coming from – autointoxication. Autointoxication occurs when the body is being poisoned by toxic substances. These toxic substances are produced within the body and are triggered by the digestive system not working properly. Autointoxication induces “fatigue, melancholia, and the neuroses.” Unfortunately, these toxins dwell in the gut, and “gut microbes” have a large influence upon mood.
Gut Microbes Play a Role
As of late, there has been growing awareness in diet being a large component of mood regulation – instead of only paying attention to exercise and sleep as the main contributors. It may surprise you that a poor diet is the leading risk factor for early death and accounts for one in five prominent deaths worldwide. Meanwhile, depression serves as the primary cause of disability globally. Low and behold, diet and depression are in fact connected. Unhealthy diets make us feel depressed, cause and effect take place, and depression itself makes us feel sicker.
How Do We Stop Self-Poisoning?
Instead of dashing to the grocery store to buy as much food as we’re able to carry, viewing food as medicine may be a good place to start. Speaking of dashing, adhering to the “DASH diet” (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) can lead to anti-depression benefits.
The DASH diet puts emphasis on eating more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods. Additionally, cutting back on foods high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats is recommended. Studies showed that individuals who adopted a Western diet as opposed to a DASH diet were more prone to depression. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to find that those engaging in the DASH diet had lower rates of depression. Below are some ideas for recommended foods:
· High intakes of fruits and vegetables
· Whole grain: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, whole wheat bread
· Fiber: oats, peanuts, beans, pears, peas, brussel sprouts
· Fish
· Olive oil
· Low-fat dairy
· Antioxidants: blueberries, artichokes, dark chocolate, spinach, beets, beans, pecans, kale, strawberries, broccoli, apples, raisins, carrots, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes
· Low intakes of animal foods
When individuals follow this schedule and focus on consuming a plant-heavy diet, “fiber from the plant matter ferments in the gut and creates short-chain fatty acids.” Fortunately, this allows us to regulate the immune system and “influence gene expression in the brain and elsewhere.” In consuming more fiber, it gives our bodies the ability to maintain “diverse gut bacteria” and these bacteria create numerous chemicals that influence our mood.
But Wait, There’s More…
Not only does eating healthy affect our mood, but it actually contributes to the size of our brains. The size of one’s hippocampus, which is a deep temporal lobe that has a large role in learning and memory, is dependent upon diet quality. Healthy fats promote the production of a specific protein called neurotrophin, which serves as growth promotion within the hippocampus.
Mood Food
Clearly there is a strong relationship between food and our states of mind. The mind and body are exquisitely interwoven systems that are in constant dialogue with one another. If we start managing and paying more attention to that dialogue, as well as listening to what our bodies are telling us, we may have more luck in mood equilibrating and living a more fulfilled and wholehearted life.
Reference:
Khazan, O. (2018). The Diet That Might Cure Depression. Pocket Worthy. Retrieved from: https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-diet-that-might-cure-depression?utm_source=pocket-newtab