How does our gut health affect our Mental Health?

By: Danielle Carranza

How does our gut health affect our Mental Health?

Researchers say controlling the bacterial population may help improve symptoms of mental disorders. Our microbiome is our diverse population of microbes (bacteria) that live in our GI tract. The GI tract consists of the Esophagus, Stomach, Large intestine, Small intestine, Colon, Rectum and Anus. (Picture)

Our GI tract has millions of different types of “Good” and “Bad” bacteria that populate it. They normally exist in a balance that helps prevent the bad bacteria from over growing. It is well documented that having an imbalance can cause inflammation, skin disorders, obesity, thyroid issues, rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, bloating, fatigue, sleep issues, sugar cravings, weight gain/loss, or allergies. 

Isn’t that such a long list? It is almost like the saying “we are what we eat” holds some truth. Our grandparents weren’t just trying to get us to eat our veggies for no reason. 

According to Dr. Tracey Marks, there are studies that show the effect of processed foods, stress, over sanitation, and lack of sleep on both our microbiome AND our Mental Health. People who are suffering from Depression, prolonged grief disorder, or Anxiety Have DRASTICALLY different bacteria compared to individuals whose mental health is considered controlled. A video from her:  Dr. Tracey Marks, Psychiatrist on how Gut Bacteria controls your Mood & PSYCHOBIOTICS

It seems our gut microbiome potentially affects every part of our lives. This includes direct impacts on our mental health. Unsurprisingly, the top three ways to manage your gut health also happen to overlap with how we get told to manage our mental and physical health. (1) Change your diet. (2) Reduce stress by any means (3) Supplement where our diet lacks. Many people don’t have the ability to easily change their immediate circumstances due to financial restrictions or access to better food sources. While we can’t always manage every symptom or issue with our mental health (especially after a loss), we can start with little steps. If you are part of our program at Hope and want to chat about how to access new resources or manage mental health on a different level please reach out to our social worker for assistance. 

Here at Hope Hospice we treat the whole person. We take part in person-centered-care where the patient and the family are connected. We also offer 13 months of free bereavement/grief counseling for involved loved ones that need it.

Another interesting video on our Guts: Your Gut Microbiome: The Most Important Organ You’ve Never Heard Of | Erika Ebbel Angle

References: 

Alignprobiotics. (n.d.). Microbiome myths and facts. Align. https://www.alignprobiotics.com/en-us/probiotic-101/microbiome-myths-facts/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnqK1BhBvEiwAi7o0Xy6xRRgmjL_s_aQHFnQ6eFe6jTMjIpjh_KAg4iIEZ2Yj3aNZ4OmHoRoCr6wQAvD_BwE

Angle, E. E. (2019, December 12). Your gut microbiome: The most important organ you’ve never heard of | Erika Ebbel Angle | tedxfargo. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9RruLkAUm8&t=184s

Bull, M. J., & Plummer, N. T. (2014, December). Part 1: The human gut microbiome in health and disease. Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566439/

Marks, T. (2021, June 2). How your gut bacteria controls your mood. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h3Y4iNcN8g

Stone, W. (2024, June 25). Your gut microbes may influence how you handle stress. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/24/nx-s1-5018044/gut-microbiome-microbes-mental-health-stress