Is Your Gut Making You Depressed or Moody?
The human gut alone has over 100 million nerve cells. This number is far greater than the number of cells in the spinal cord or PNS (peripheral nervous system.) Although it may sound strange, people have brain cells in large intestines. This may explain the correlation between antibiotics use and neuropsychiatric effects on the brain. Antibiotics can disturb the gut’s healthy microflora, affecting the mood and cause symptoms of mental disturbance.
A Good Mood Com With A Good Diet
Molecules associated with depression and happiness are found in the gut. Almost all of the serotonin, the happiness hormone, is produced in the body’s digestive tract. Scientists have shown that gut bacteria manufacture many other neurotransmitters essential for the brain’s healthy functioning. They can affect the mood, regulate anxiety levels, help with concentration, and promote motivation. Researchers say that exposure to and consumption of good bacteria can significantly help people balance the brain’s functions.
The other noteworthy influence that increases our chances of developing mood disorders is stress. Stress is a known factor to increase the permeability of the gut to harmful bacteria. In fact, chronic depression is one of the major causes of dysbiosis—the disbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut.
Bacteria and Your Brain
The other way that harmful bacteria can affect our brains is by interfering with brain chemicals’ metabolic processes. This alone determines how much or how little of the transmitters will enter the blood circulation and reach the brain. An abnormal influx of neurotransmitters may either slow down the brain’s normal functions or, the opposite, damage the brain by overstimulating the brain’s neuronal activity.
To prove the direct link of bacteria to the brain, the scientists have made a note to specific bacteria and tracked their influence on various states of brain health. They also investigated possible direct or indirect correlation between the microbiome, quality of life, and severity of depression in people. Not only did the scientist find a direct correlation between gut microflora and brain health, but they pointed out the exact names of bacteria affecting our daily lives by causing disturbances in our mental health.
After the promising results of the experiments mentioned above, scientists worldwide started to conduct their own investigations of similar nature. As expected, they found that different types of bacteria can affect different parts of the brain causing specific symptoms or triggering particular neuropsychiatric conditions. Researchers found that they noticed an abundant amount of specific bacteria in the guts of people with various mental disorders. For example, the guts of people who have schizophrenia were abnormally full of one type of bacteria. The guts of people having other mental conditions presented a large number of other bacteria.
Does Gut Health Affect Mood? We Believe So!
These findings give hope for both people with mental health issues and medical professionals. It is quite possible that, in the near future, brain disorders and mental conditions can be treated with prebiotics or probiotics instead of sedatives and antidepressants.
Healthy Eating for A Happy Life
In sum, taking good care of our health and eating a healthy diet with whole foods, fruits, and vegetables may help us increase the amount of those beneficial bacterias in our guts. As we already know, a healthy gut helps us live a long, healthy, and happy life.
Resources:
Gut Bacteria And The Brain | HuffPost Life.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gut-bacteria-and-the-brai_b_11898980
Gut Bacteria Can Influence Your Mood, Thoughts, and Brain …. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/neuroscience-in-everyday-life/201908/gut-bacteria-can-influence-your-mood-thoughts-and-brain
