What does the latest science tell us about our brain, our gut and our mental health?

Over the last few years, I have become more concerned with the mind-body connection and its impact on overall health. I—especially mine.

I’ve found that when I’m anxious or upset, I instinctively put my hand on my stomach. And while you can convince yourself that there’s nothing to be nervous about when you’re thrust into an unfamiliar social situation, a gurgling stomach is another story.

Of course, these are not scientific observations, just more intentional explanations of what we all intuitively feel. So the gut has something to do with the mood, and the mood has something to do with the gut.

It seems that everyone is also interested in this relationship. Her 32-year-old Danielle, who lives in Los Angeles, asked the following questions: What’s the latest research on the gut-brain connection and its relationship to mental health?

brief history

Ancient healing traditions, including Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, have long recognized the dialogue between the gut and the brain. did.

Moving on to modern times, in 1909, a British doctor reported that sour milk had cured a patient of what he called depression at the time, “melancholy.” Around the same time, another doctor claimed kefir could treat mental illness. Some doctors have theorized that when certain foods are broken down by microbes, harmful substances are produced that can lead to stress and mental disorders.

By the 1930s, however, Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and its emphasis on the unconscious dominated modern thinking about mental health. Then, in the 1950s, the first chemical antidepressant, imipramine, was discovered.Scientific interest in the gut-brain connection has all but disappeared – Until recently.

2004, first contemporary studies It has been published to show a potential link between stress and the gut microbiome (a complex ecosystem of bacteria, archaea, viruses and fungi). Before that, according to the experts I spoke to for this newsletter, the suggestion that the 100 trillion microbiomes in our gut could be a factor in mental health had been shunned by the Western medical community. It was drawing attention.

Hundreds of researchers around the world are now trying to understand how this connection works and what it means for treating mental disorders.

“We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in medicine, where the brain is being reintegrated into the rest of the body.” Emmeran A. Mayer, Ph.D.The director of UCLA’s G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience told me.

What we know so far

Scientists agree that the mind and gut are in constant communication from the mouth to the end of the digestive tract.in the intestine your nervous systemis called the “second brain” because it functions independently of the brain in your head and can communicate directly with the central nervous system.Details of the relationship are still being worked out, he said. Sarkis Mazmaniana medical microbiologist at the California Institute of Technology.

The gut-brain axis, as researchers call it, may send messages through several pathways.

• The vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body, contains neurotransmitters ( Serotonin When dopamine), the body’s chemical messengers that help regulate sleep, mood, pain, stress and hunger.

  • Fun Fact: A staggering 95% of Serotonin is often referred to as the body’s “feel good” chemical or hormone., made in the intestine.
• Scientists believe another form of communication may take place when our gut microbiome makes compounds It reaches the brain through the blood. Once there, these compounds can interact with neurons and alter moods, Mazmanian said.
• Our immune system may also play an important role. Researchers speculate that when the gut’s delicate microbial balance is disrupted, it sends a message to the immune system, which can lead to gastrointestinal inflammation.

Different Kinds of Double Diagnosis

The gut not only influences our day-to-day mental health, but may also play a role in the development and severity of mental illness.

People with gastrointestinal disorders are much more likely to have mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and depression.Also, people with schizophrenia have a higher incidence of gastroenteritis: “I see her IBS patient [irritable bowel syndrome] Most have mental and emotional symptoms ranging from mild anxiety to anxiety disorders,” Mayer said.

Although there is a clear correlation between gastrointestinal and mental health conditions, there is (yet) ironclad scientific evidence that gut inflammation and microbial imbalances lead to psychological distress in humans and vice versa. There is none.

To date, most research on the gut-brain relationship has been done in animals. 1 study Researchers at Chongqing Medical University in China found that the gut microbiome of people diagnosed with major depressive disorder was very different from that of the general population. We — yep! — transplanted it into germ-free mice from people with depression. Compared with the control group, these mice exhibited more anxious and depressive behaviors.

This and other studies have motivated scientists to figure out whether a more balanced microbiome leads to better mental health or plays a role in treating mental illness. Bacteria can be altered by the foods we eat, or probiotic and prebiotic supplements. It is shown To reduce stress and anxiety behavior in rodents, prebiotics (essentially probiotic foods) include antidepressant effect Reverses the effects of chronic stress.

wild ones. But of course, rats are not people. Some studies have been done on humans, but they are fairly small and the results cannot be generalized, for example, researchers at Shepherd Pratt Health in Baltimore, his system, given probiotics It was shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in 33 patients hospitalized with mania. Her other 33 received a placebo. Participants took probiotics or placebo along with their usual medication for several months. was 8 people.

and, Two Recent Case StudiesAustralians diagnosed with bipolar disorder saw marked improvements in their mental health after they were given fecal transplant Donated by people with more balanced microbiomes. One woman, who tried more than a dozen drugs to treat her disorder with no luck, was reportedly symptom-free in the next five years.

Experts warn that more robust studies with larger sample sizes are needed to truly understand how changes in the human microbiome affect mental health.

“What’s the best diet? What are the best probiotics? We still don’t know what those interventions are,” Mazmanian said. “A lot of this is trial and error and very personalized. You and I may react differently to stress and our microbiomes are unique.”

The proof is in the fermented pudding?

Regarding increasing your probiotic intake, the general consensus among researchers I interviewed was that it won’t hurt you. It is rich in probiotics and, when combined with other nutritious foods, may contribute to a healthy gut and, in turn, a healthier brain. However, probiotic supplements are not FDA approved. It’s difficult to know what’s in these pills because you don’t need to take them (consult your doctor or naturopathic doctor if you need guidance).

Research still has a long way to go, but some doctors are already incorporating gut health into their treatment regimens. It asks patients to consume high-value foods: grains and plants rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, prebiotics and probiotics.

Dr. Uma Naiduis a nutritional psychiatrist and trained chef who directs the Department of Nutrition and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. Naidoo said figuring out which types of foods contribute to a healthy microbiome for one of hers is “a marathon, not a sprint.”

Naidoo’s patients most often present with depression, anxiety, attention and sleep problems. She may recommend different combinations of foods to the patient, carefully observing the patient’s reaction before any improvement is seen. Such interventions should be done in conjunction with psychotherapy, not to replace prescription drugs, she said, Naidoo.

So what can we do with all this information in today’s uncertain times? Dr. Glen TrezmanProfessor of Psychiatry and Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. It all depends on what matches your own particular gut.

Excuse me for calling my name and having a lunch of sauerkraut and yogurt. just kidding.

Until next week,

roller

If what you’ve learned today from these experts speaks to you, or if you’d like to share your own experiences, email us and we’d love to share your thoughts with the larger group therapy community. Please let us know. An email to [email protected] will go directly to our team.
look Click here for the previous version. To view this newsletter in your browser, click here.

Other Perspectives on Today’s Topic and Other Resources

other interesting stuff

• No surprise here: “Doomscrolling” — a tendency to cling to bad news — maybe It negatively affects physical and mental health.
• New study finds most Americans experienced a time warp early in the pandemicwhich common during traumatic times.
• Schools reopen, National Alliance on Mental Illness have lots of resources For Youth — Includes a guide to navigating college with a mental health condition.