Be Thy Mood Medicine by Drew Mulvey
O
ur emotions can dictate our food choices (and cravings), but what goes in our mouths can also have a profound effect on the former. Why is that? New evidence is starting to reveal that there is a large connection between the gut and the brain, also known as the “Gut-Brain Axis.” Food contains nutrients and compounds that can directly affect our mood, impulse control and cravings, particularly if we are deficient in them! Yet our mental state can impact how well these nutrients are assimilated. Stress, particularly psychological stress, sends a cascade of signals down our bodies to decrease stomach acid and increase adrenaline. This is better known as “fight or flight.” Stomach acid is needed for digestive enzymes to properly break down the food we eat into smaller molecules to be absorbed in the intestines and used by the body. Lack of that can 42
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cause deficiencies. Lowered stomach acid also changes the pH of the gut, potentially creating an imbalance of harmful microorganisms to beneficial ones. It’s a vicious cycle! One way to improve both mood and gut function is by increasing consumption of plant material in our diets. How can they help? Eating more plants in the diet has been touted in several traditions such as Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic. It is theorized that eating more of these foods can create more of a sense of well-being. Why is this? Direct contact with anything in nature is better known as grounding or earthing. Grounding/ earthing may be responsible for improving a sense of well-being and decreasing inflammation. Plants are also an excellent source of fiber and phytonutrients such as antioxidants, and several vitamins and minerals important for our brain health and mental well-being.
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With these two concepts in mind, here are some ways to use the power of plants to help boost mood levels and improve gut health.
Mood Boosting Nutrients
Chemical compounds in our brain, known as neurotransmitters, are responsible for our emotions and creating a sense of well-being. Two particularly important ones for mood are serotonin and dopamine. The latter, when too high, can cause addictive behaviors, but when low can have a profound impact on our disposition. Therefore, it is important to take these factors into account when including specific plant material in our diets to enhance mood. Nutrients important for the production of these neurotransmitters are tryptophan, the amino acid precursor to serotonin; phenylalanine, the precursor to dopamine;
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Let Plants
