GU

T
How your belly affects
your mood
BY LISA TURNER

o matter how t you are, and

no matter how beautiful, tan,
perfectly coied, or nely
muscled, underneath it all, what matters
most is your bodys balance of good
bacteria. Of the estimated 100 trillion
cells in the body, only about 10 percent
are human. The rest are bacteriaup to
5 pounds worth, and most of them in the
gut. And according to emerging research,
they can have a profound impact on mood,
behavior, and well-being.

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NOVEMBER 2015

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LINGS
NOVEMBER 2015

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Sometimes called the

second brain or the gut
brain, the digestive tract
is the bodys only organ
to house its own nervous
system. Called the enteric
nervous system, this
neural network consists
of 500 million neurons,
ve times the amount
in the spinal column. It
operates independently
from the central nervous
system, and continues to
function even when the vagus nerve
the main channel of communication
between the gut and the brainis severed.
Because of many similarities in the
immune system and nervous system,
researchers initially believed gut
microbes inuenced mood and behavior
through the immune system, more
or less by using immune cells to send
signals to the brain. But new studies
suggest gut microbes impact mood and
behavior by directly interacting with the
nervous system, without involving the
immune system. There may be a complex
neurochemical delivery system in which
microbes such as probiotics can send
messages directly to the brain. And its
also known that gut bacteria produce
neurochemicals that impact learning,
memory, and mood; for example, the
gut is responsible for making about 95
percent of the bodys serotonin, which
inuences mood, appetite, and sleep.
Dozens of new and compelling studies
have found that the makeup of bacteria
in the gut has a profound impact on brain
chemistry, behavior, learning, and mood.
For example:
k The microbiome in patients with major
depressive disorder is signicantly
dierent from that of people who dont
suer depression.
k A lower amount of certain bacteria
(for example, Faecalibacterium) is
associated with more severe depression.
k Taking probiotics can lessen anxiety
and improve feelings of well-being.

The next frontier of

research: FMT for treating
depression, anxiety, and
mood disorders.
But the practical use
of fecal transplants for
mental health is many
years away. In the meantime, you can heal your
gut, ease anxiety, and
lessen depression with
simple, eective cures. Try
these, and get your gut
feelings in order:
Kick out the oenders. The rst step
in improving your microbiome: reduce or
eliminate foods that harm benecial gut
bacteria and consequently impact mood
and behavior. These include sugar, corn
syrup, and processed foods. Certain
medications, especially antibiotics, NSAIDs,
steroids, and proton-pump inhibitors, also
upset the microbiome
Heal your gut. Poor diet and lifestyle
can lead to a condition called leaky gut,
or intestinal permeability, which has
been implicated in many diseases, including
depression. Many natural herbs and
supplements promote healing of the
intestine's mucosal lining. Some of the
best include L-glutamine, an amino acid
that can heal soft tissue like the lining of
the intestines; quercetin, which helps
reduce permeability; N-acetylglucosamine
(NAG), a monosaccharide that can improve
intestinal permeability, especially in
conjunction with MSM; zinc, which can
tighten the junctures characteristic of
leaky gut; and deglycyrrhizinated licorice
(DGL) root, a form of licorice thats free
from glycyrrhizathe compound that
can raise blood pressurewhich helps
maintain the mucosal lining of the
stomach and duodenum.
Take a good probiotic supplement.
New research suggests probiotics can
ease anxiety, and may even be a powerful
treatment for autism. In one study,
mice with features of autism had lower
levels of certain probiotics than did
normal mice; when they were given the

In one study, people who took a daily

prebiotic supplement for three weeks
were better able to deal with anxiety
and depression than a placebo group.

52

NOVEMBER 2015

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)

ndings show changes in regions of
the brain crucial in emotional processing after taking probiotics.
k Specic probiotics (benecial bacteria)
can signicantly decrease anxiety-like
behavior in rats and reduce psychological distress in humans.
k Altering gut ora has been shown to
decrease stress response and improve
overall feelings of well-being.
k Higher levels of Lactobacillus rhamnosus
bacteria in the gut can increase the
number of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric
acid) receptors. GABA is a neurotransmitter that curbs anxiety.
k Bidobacterium longum helps ease
anxiety and depression in people
who suer from GI disorders such as
Crohns disease, ulcerative colitis, and
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
In light of these ndings, researchers
are experimenting with fecal microbiota
transplantation (FMT), in which microbiota
from a healthy person are inserted into a
sick persons gut. This process has been
shown to eectively treat C. dicile,
an antibiotic-resistant pathogen that
can be fatal. And it may be eective as
a treatment for diabetes and obesity. In
animal studies, obese mice that received
transplants from lean mice lost weight;
in human studies, when microbiota from
lean donors were transferred to the guts
of patients with metabolic syndrome, the
researchers found striking improvements
in the recipients sensitivity to insulin.
k

strains of probiotics they were lacking,

symptoms were reversed. In another
study, volunteers who took probiotic
supplements for a four-week period had
improved mood and fewer ruminating
thoughts. Choose a broad-spectrum
supplement, and be sure it includes
Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis,
Bidobacterium lactis (B. animalis),
and Bidobacterium longum.
Get cultured. In addition to taking a
probiotic, include fermented food in your
diet. Naturally fermented foods have
been used for thousands of years, and
contain a wide range of bacteria so youll
cover all your bases. Yogurt, sauerkraut,
ker, kimchi, miso, and kombucha are
some of the most common and easily
accessible fermented foods. Youll also
nd fermented cod-liver oil, green foods,
and protein powdersgreat ways to add
probiotics to your morning smoothies.
Feed your gut. Prebiotics, indigestible
foods that provide food for benecial
microorganisms in the intestines, can
improve the microbiome and enhance
mood. In one study, people who took a
daily prebiotic supplement for three weeks
were better able to deal with anxiety and
depression than a placebo group. The best
prebiotic foods include Jerusalem artichokes,
asparagus, onions, garlic, jicama, and
radishes. For supplements, choose inulin,
chicory root, arabinogalactan polysaccharides, and cal-mag butyrate. Or look for a
prebiotic supplement that contains FOS
(fructooligosaccharides).
Reduce inammation. Some
evidence suggests depression may be
an allergic reaction to irritation and
inammation in the gut. Omega-3 fatty
acids have been shown in many studies
to reduce inammation, and are also
benecial for mood. White willow bark
contains salicin, similar to salicylic acid,
the active compound in aspirin; it works
by blocking inammatory chemicals in
the body. Curcumin, the active ingredient
in turmeric, is a powerful anti-inammatory,
suppressing compounds in the body that

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NOVEMBER 2015

trigger inammation. Other good inammation reducers: green tea, boswellia,

resveratrol, and pycnogenol.
Eat bone broth. Homemade stocks
from animal bones and cartilage are rich
in gelatin, collagen, and amino acids that
promote digestive health and heal the
lining of the intestines. Theyre easy to
make, and you can nd packaged versions
of the real thing. Or take those benecial
compounds in supplement form: youll
nd gelatin and collagen in capsules or as
a powder to mix into smoothies; gelatin
powder can also be used as the base for
natural gelatin dessert. The main amino
acids in bone broth include arginine,
glycine, glutamine, and proline; look for
these in single or combination forms.
Avoid sugar. New research shows
that a high-sugar diet caused changes in
the gut bacteria of mice, impairing their
cognitive exibility, or the ability to
adjust to changing situations. Microbiota
alterations also negatively aected their
short- and long-term memories, and
impacted their performance on mental
and physical function tests. Natural
sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup,

and agave (though better options than

white table sugar) have the same impact.
Xylitol, erythritol, and other sugar
alcohols are indigestible and can cause
digestive distress. Your best bet: look
for stevia, a natural sweetener derived
from a South American herb, available in
powders, droppers, and packets.
Get a little dirty. Historically, our gut
adapted to interaction with the outside
world by ingesting a little dirt here and
there; we develop immunity to potential
pathogens through low-grade, routine
exposure. But modern cleaning products
and antibacterial agents wipe out
everything, including some benecial
bacteria the body needs. Be choosy about
household cleaners; look for nontoxic,
natural alternatives, and steer clear of
antibacterial ingredients and hand sanitizers (other than natural versions made
with essential oils). Or consider a probiotic
made from SBO (soil-based organism).
SBOs are extremely hardy and can
survive stomach acid and heat. Theyre
still a little controversial, but at least one
study showed signicant improvement
in irritable bowel patients.

Healthy-Gut Product Picks

1.

Arthur Andrew
Medical
Floraphage is
a biologically
new form of
prebiotic that
enhances the
potency of
probiotics.

2.

Country Life
Resveratrol
Plus blends
trans-resveratrol with grape
and pine bark
extracts for
inflammation
control.

3.

Garden of Life
Dr. Formulated
Probiotics
Mood + boasts
a combination
of probiotics
clinically shown
to support mood
and relaxation.

4.

Nature's Way
Primadophilus
Reuteri Superior Probiotic
Multi-Strain
Powder +
scFOS includes
Bifidobacterium
longum and
Lactobacillus
rhamnosus.

5.

NeoCell
Super Collagen
+ C features
low molecularweight collagen
peptides, which
are easy to
absorb, as well
vitamin C for
its synergistic
effects.

Lisa Turner is a food writer and holistic nutritionist based in Boulder, Colo.

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