Connecting the gut-brain dots

Talk with your health care practitioner about these supplements to support both gut and brain health.

These conditions have long been associated with depression and anxiety, and recent gut bug-related discoveries indicate the gut disruptions may be triggering the brain problems, not the other way around.

Using Diet To Shape Gut Microbes

Hockey says now that we know gut bacteria are intricately involved in gut-brain communication, it supports the idea that nutritional changes can have an impact on brain health.

“Diet is one of the key factors in shaping the gut microbiota and can have profound impacts on microbial diversity, abundance, and the function of different bacteria,” she says.

PREBIOTICS mitigate cognitive impairments in some mental health conditions

In Hockey’s view, this goes hand in hand with an emerging scientific field called nutritional psychiatry, which looks at how diet relates to brain health and how nutritional interventions can play a role in treatment regimens for mental illness.

“Many things relating to our mental health are beyond our control,” she says. “But we have direct influence over what we eat, and this can, in turn, help shape our gut microbiota and, potentially, our mental health.”

Eat more plant-based foods

While there’s no diet or supplement that alone can alleviate mental illness, Hockey emphasizes that plant foods feed the gut microbes in multiple ways that support brain health.

FISH OIL protects against neurodegeneration in older adults

MCT OIL increases brain energy metabolism in certain conditions

PROBIOTICS regulate the immune system or generally increase levels of potentially beneficial bacteria in the gut

When advising clients, she says, “As a first step, I recommend increasing the intake and variety of plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grain cereals. These foods contain a variety of fibres and polyphenols that can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria within the gut.”

Include probiotics and prebiotics

Probiotics are a potential way to achieve positive changes in the gut microbiota, and some have shown promise for helping depression, although most available probiotic strains have not been studied for their specific effects on the brain or mental health. Ditto for prebiotics, which are substances that act as “food” for beneficial gut microbes.

Remember that variety is key

Rather than obsessing over a single dietary component, however, Hockey advises looking at the big picture. “Overall diet quality and patterns, rather than individual foods, matter most to mental health,” she says. “We don’t eat individual nutrients and foods in isolation; we eat meals and snacks which contain a variety of foods and nutrients that interact with one another.”

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE, GOOD BUGS

Nutrition is one of the main ways to influence the composition of our gut bacteria, but other lifestyle factors can contribute, too. Exercise, for example, has a modest effect on the gut microbial community, and so do household pets (which increase gut microbial diversity) and getting enough sleep.

Using a variety of approaches to shape your gut microbes—which respond to these lifestyle tweaks day in and day out—is the best way to build a solid foundation for brain and mental health.

THE BRAIN’S TRILLIONS OF FRIENDS

In science and medicine, the digestive tract and the brain have long been treated separately. But now we know the brain is intricately connected with the gut, and in particular with the trillions of microbes that reside there. By paying attention to gut microbes and modifying them through positive lifestyle changes, including nutrition, we can make sure our brains have strong support from the bottom up.