What is the gut brain connection?
Apr 11, 2021
"Be aware of your gut-brain connection; it may be contributing to your anxiety and digestion issues."
THE GUT BRAIN CONNECTION
The gut-brain connection is no joke anymore; it can relate anxiety to stomach issues and vice versa. Have you ever had a "heartbreaking" experience? Do you "feel nauseated" in certain situations? Have you ever had the sensation of "butterflies" in your stomach? We use these phrases for a reason. The gastrointestinal tract is delicate to emotion. Anger, worry, grief, and elation are among emotions that can cause discomfort in the gut.
The stomach and intestines are directly affected by the brain. For example, just thinking about eating might cause the stomach's fluids to be released before the food arrives. This connection is reciprocal. A malfunctioning intestine can send messages to the brain, just as a malfunctioning brain can send signals to the intestine. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the reason or the product of anxiety, stress, or depressed mood. This is due to the fact that the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are strongly tied.
This is particularly true in cases where the person experiences gastrointestinal upset with no visible health cause. It is impossible to cure a troubled stomach for such functional GI illnesses without recognising the effects of stress and emotion.
Behavior Begins in the Gut
Most conditions that are thought to affect the brain and behaviour actually involve many other aspects of physiology—including the gut. One example is autism spectrum disorders.
Let’s take this recent study where a graduate student at Ohio State University looked at reports from families of 176 children with autism. Almost all of the children—93%–had at least one gastrointestinal symptom.
She also found an association between gut symptoms and repetitive behaviors, like rocking back and forth or hand flapping. Whether gastrointestinal problems worsen repetitive behaviors or vice versa is not known. It’s possible that repetitive behaviors are a coping mechanism for gut pain. It’s also possible that there are physiological underpinnings to explain them both.
How to improve brain gut connection?
IBS and other digestive diseases can be treated using an integrated approach by focusing on both gastrointestinal and behavioural medicine due to the brain-gut axis. Here are home remedies for leaky gut and four things to keep in mind that can help shape our gut bacteria to provide us with the best health possible, decrease discomfort, and manage persistent symptoms.
5 ways to fix gut brain connection
1. Diet
The composition of the gut microbiota is greatly influenced by diet. Reducing the food intake of fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) in individuals with IBS has just been proven to change the gut microbiota, hence improving IBS symptoms and quality of life. Typical examples of FODMAP foods are wheat, milk, onions, and honey. Instead, adding fibre (especially fiber-rich foods like spinach) and probiotics may help to improve the balance of your gut flora.
Food for Your Gut Mind health
“Omega-3 fatty acids, fermented foods, probiotics and other polyphenol-rich foods may improve your gut health, which may benefit the gut-brain axis.”
Many other studies have found that supporting gut health and nutrition can be an important addition to psychological and behavioral interventions for autism. Nutrients like…
· Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids assist in cholesterol reduction, memory and cognitive function enhancement, and sugar craving decrease. Omega-3s are plentiful in walnuts, flax seeds, salmon, sardines, and mackerel.
· Probiotics
Proteins include nitrogen, which reduces the number of pathogenic microorganisms in a microbiome. Eating protein reduces feelings of depression by increasing serotonin synthesis, which improves your mood. Eggs, milk, yoghurt, lean beef, turkey, chicken, fish, broccoli, oats, and almonds are all high in protein.
· Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins especially Vitamin D controls your microbiome and decreases inflammation in your gastrointestinal tract. Vitamin D-rich foods include egg yolks, tuna, salmon, orange juice, and fortified milk.
2. Exercise
Exercise can help to enhance and promote the diversity of gut flora. It can be used as a therapy to maintain or rebalance gut bacteria, hence enhancing overall health.
3. Medications
Antibiotics should only be used when absolutely necessary or as prescribed by your doctor, as they can decrease the diversity of your microbiome.
When we take a holistic approach to health, we look at how all aspects of the body affect one another. This is the best way to get to the root cause and to find solutions that will last. The best approach to medicine addresses the mind and body as one.
4. Drink a lot of water
Drink six to eight glasses of water per day to help the digestive process.
5. Seek help
A therapist who specialises in anxiety can assist you in dealing with chronic worry.
Whether or not you or anybody you know has autism, this study gives us good evidence that the gut and the brain are connected. The gut-brain connection is relevant in depression, anxiety, dementia, and just about any condition that is traditionally thought to only affect the mind.
If you’d like to know more;
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KEYWORDS USED
- HOW TO IMPROVE BRAIN-GUT CONNECTION?
- WHAT IS THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION?
- FIX GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION
- FOOD FOR GUT MIND HEALTH
HEAL YOUR MIND & BODY TOGETHER
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