The Link Between Your Gut and Your Brain

Most people know about the correlation between what they eat and how they feel, at least in the physical sense. Proper nutrition is important for heart health, lung health, joint health, and so much more. However, many people don’t realize that there is a direct link between their nutrition and their mental health.

Yes, food is the fuel that your body needs to carry out its daily tasks, but the benefits of proper nutrition extend beyond helping you perform physically. With the increased focus on mental health that we’ve experienced in the last few years, scientists have been studying the correlation that exists between mental health and nutrition.

Making the right choices when it comes to the food that you’re eating can work wonders for your mental health, cognitive function, and more. Learn more about this connection today.

How Food Impacts Neurological Function

Different physical systems in your body rely on certain nutrients to perform at their best. In the same vein, poor dietary choices can negatively impact those bodily functions.

If you eat fried, greasy foods, you’ll not only notice gastrointestinal issues, but it will have a long-term impact on your heart. Foods that are high in sodium lead to high blood pressure. Those are all facts that we have known for generations.

However, there are also nutrients that you need to keep your brain operating at its best. Vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids all play pivotal roles in neurological function. Your brain constantly produces new neurotransmitters which regulate cognitive function, mood, and other neurological traits. Proper nutrition helps the brain create new neurotransmitters, which promote improved function.

Nuts, leafy greens, and fatty fish are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Conversely, foods that are filled with sugars, saturated fat, and empty carbohydrates have the opposite effect. This doesn’t mean that you never enjoy sweet treats, but being mindful of your cognitive function involves choosing foods that promote mental well-being.

Understanding the Gut-Brain Axis

In recent years, the connection between the gut and the brain has been receiving more attention than ever before. Scientists have dubbed this connection as the “gut-brain axis.”

The microbiome, which naturally exists in your gut, consists of trillions of bacteria, and we now know that those bacteria communicate directly with the brain via the nervous system. These microbes, scientists now know, help the brain produce important chemicals such as serotonin, which is known as the “feel-good chemical” in the brain, as it plays the most important role of any neurochemicals in mood regulation.

When you eat foods that are highly processed and are low in fiber, it disrupts the production and function of those bacteria, resulting in the gut-brain axis getting out of balance. Think of the axis on which the Earth exists. If it were to get out of balance in any way, the consequences would be unimaginable.

While that’s a larger example of the axis that your stomach and brain coexist on, the ramifications aren’t all that different. When you don’t nurture your digestive system, you’ll notice issues with your neurological function and mental health.

When many people hear the word “bacteria,” they think of sickness, but there are good bacteria, like those that exist in your gastrointestinal system. When you choose foods that promote their health, such as yogurt, kefir, or fermented vegetables, you nurture those bacteria and promote a healthier relationship between your gut and your brain.

Using Nutrition to Battle Anxiety and Depression

More people have been formally diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or both in the last ten years than ever before. To a certain degree, this is the byproduct of an increased focus on mental health, and people are no longer ashamed to seek the help that they desperately need.

However, many scientists also believe that the increased amount of fast foods that we’re eating, along with the frozen foods that are ripe with preservatives, may also factor into this.

Healthy foods are filled with nutrients and vitamins, including B12, B6, magnesium, and more. According to neurologists and neuroscientists, those nutrients are important in supporting chemical levels in the brain. While these foods do not “cure” anxiety and depression, there is a relationship between decreased symptoms and diets that prioritize healthy, balanced foods.

The Connection Between Mood and Blood Sugar

Your blood sugar has a direct impact on your mood, cognitive function, and more. When you consume too many refined carbs and mood swings, your blood glucose level will drop suddenly. This typically leads to mood swings, irrational behavior, and other cognitive issues.

If you’ve ever loaded up on sugary donuts and other sweets with your morning coffee and then found yourself feeling easily angered before lunch, it’s probably because your blood sugar dropped suddenly.

When you eat a balanced diet with plenty of complex carbs, like fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and other healthier options, your body releases glucose into the bloodstream at a slower rate. This natural release allows your body to break down those sugars normally, which prevents sudden drops in your blood sugar.

Implement some complex carbohydrates and balance them with proteins in your diet. These nutrients allow your body to break down your food slower, preventing brain fog, mood swings, and other things that usually come with drops in blood sugar.

How Inflammation Alters Mental Health

For years, doctors pointed to chronic inflammation as a physical problem that led to arthritis, tendonitis, and other musculoskeletal issues. Today, experts now know that inflammation is also directly linked to mental health issues.

Many of the foods that you love, primarily snack foods, are full of refined sugars, artificial additives, and unhealthy fats that can trigger inflammation in the body.

Not only does this lead to you feeling bloated and physically tired after eating, but it can also trigger a response in the brain that doctors call oxidative stress. In the short term, not much is known about oxidative stress, but neurologists who have studied the long-term impact of this disease point to mood disorders and even brain damage.

Foods and drinks with antioxidant properties are shown to reduce oxidative stress, which not only helps with mood stabilization in the immediate future but can also protect your brain in the long term. Antioxidant-rich foods and drinks include pomegranate, green tea, berries, and turmeric. Incorporating these into your diet, even as snacks, is a great way to invest in brain health and mental well-being

Balance Your Diet, Boost Your Mental Wellness

Taking a balanced approach to your dietary choices is a great way to improve your mental health, cognitive function, and more.

There is still much work to be done when it comes to researching the link between nutrition and mental health, but as scientists continue to make new discoveries, every piece of evidence points to the importance of antioxidant-rich foods, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats.

The best news is that most people can make some simple changes to their diets that will prove beneficial for their mental well-being.

Cutting out some of the unhealthy options and replacing them with better choices doesn’t mean that you never eat any of the sweet treats that you love so much. Instead, it means that you take a balanced approach to your diet, and in doing so, improve your mental health.