Microbiota and Mood

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Did you know that your gut can influence your mood?

We often think about our brain when it comes to our mood but 95% of serotonin, a feel-good neurotransmitter, is actually created in the gut! [1] It makes sense then to think when our gut is healthy our mood will be positively impacted.

Gut health

The opposite could also be said though, that when we aren’t consuming the right types of foods and producing the correct bacteria our gut could be negatively impacting our mood. Anxious, fatigued, or having trouble sleeping? All of this could be related to inadequate microbiota.

Microbi-whata?

The microbiota can be explained as, “ the microorganisms in a particular environment, whether they live symbiotically or pathologically” [2]. Basically, different types of bacteria (good and bad) can be found in the gut. We all have our own specific microbiota. You can think of it as your own personal bacteria fingerprint.

Brain and gut connection

When the gut is filled with an appropriate balance of good vs. bad bacteria it can function the way it needs to, influencing mood, cognition, and immune health positively. This link between the autonomic nervous system, nerves within the gastrointestinal tract, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis are the way the gut and brain communicate. [1]

Microbiota and Anxiety

Studies have shown that probiotics can actually impact our mood. This happens by microbiota influencing brain neurochemistry. The communication is bidirectional, meaning the gut influences the brain and the brain influences the gut (3).

Probiotics and Gut Health

Taking a good quality probiotic in conjunction with a healthy diet can help with gut health. Making sure that it contains what it says on the label and that the bacteria are actually alive and active tends to be a challenging part for most people. Finding a Registered Dietitian or Herbalist who is experienced in the field of supplements is your best bet for sourcing a high-quality product to help with gut health. We would be more than happy to oblige. 🙂

Fermented foods and Microbiome

Fermented foods can also improve the health of your gut. Kimchi, yogurt, and sauerkraut are just a few that have been shown to improve your gut microbiome as well.

Decreasing your stress

We know that stress can alter our gut microbiota in a negative way. A little stress can be good, it makes us more alert but chronic stress takes a toll on the body in a negative way. There are ways to decrease the stress response in the body. Deep breathing and meditation are further suggestions for helping your body deal with stress. If you are looking for more support check out our “Work with Me,” page and see if any of our options may be a good fit for you. We love helping and supporting women in any way we can!

Check out our Supplements page for our favorite products!

Xoxo,

Jackie

Resources:

1)Appleton, J. (2018). The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of Microbiota on Mood and Mental Health. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, 17(4), 28-32.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6469458/

2) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/microbiota

3) Carabotti, M., Scirocco, A., Maselli, M. A., & Severi, C. (2015). The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems. Annals of Gastroenterology : Quarterly Publication of the Hellenic Society of Gastroenterology, 28(2), 203-209. https://doi.org/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/