You’ve probably heard the expression ‘gut feeling’ and realised it’s referring to both how your stomach and your mind are feeling. Words couldn’t be truer as there is very much a connection between our gastrointestinal system and our brain. Get ready to uncover why this connection is so much more than a gut feeling.
Gut brain axis
Since ‘gut health’ became a popular health and wellness trend, the term ‘gut brain axis’ gets thrown around a lot. In case you missed it, let’s have a quick recap of what this actually means.. The gut brain axis refers to the communication between the central and enteric nervous system linking intestinal functions to the emotional and cognitive centres of the brain (Carabotti et al., 2015). Basically it describes the impact that our brain health and gastrointestinal health have on each other and how one can affect the other.
What this knowledge means
As much as it’s a cool health fact to bring up, knowing how this connection works is the best way to optimise your health and wellbeing. By focusing on the health of our GIT (gut) we are able to not only improve our digestion and absorption of nutrients but also optimise our brain health. In the same sense, if we focus on optimising our brain health we are also improving our gut health and digestion. By combining these health goals you can really optimise both these body systems and make a drastic impact on how you function day to day.
How to help your gut
There are so many ways to improve your gut health, using food as medicine is a great place to begin! Eating foods high in fibre help to keep bowel movements regular and improve bowel health. Probiotic and prebiotic rich foods help to improve the gut’s microbiota which is the gut’s balance of good and bad bacteria. They achieve this by increasing good bacteria, which helps to improve the gut’s integrity and reduce inflammation. Taking a probiotic supplement daily is also a great way to improve your overall gut health in an easy and convenient way. Ginseng is a great superfood supplement that has been shown to regulate gut microbiome diversity, meaning it can create a more diverse bacterial balance in the gut. The more bacterial strains that are present help to improve the overall strength of the gut for immunity and reduce pathogenic factors (Chen et al., 2022).
Improving brain health
Once again eating a healthy and balanced diet is a great way to support brain health and function. As the brain is made up of 70% fat, it’s important to nourish it with omega 3 fatty acids (good fats) to help it thrive. Increasing neurotransmitters are a great way to improve mood and brain function, taking ginseng has shown to be effective at helping to increase the brain’s serotonin and dopamine levels (Hou et al., 2020). Lifestyle factors such as getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and keeping your mind active with activities like puzzles, reading and crosswords are key for optimising your brain health and function.
Improve your feeling
Whether it’s a better gut feeling, or gutting a bad feeling, improving both your gut and brain health will serve you well and help you to achieve all of the above. Starting with small steps such as a balanced diet, a daily ginseng supplement or improving your sleep are great ways to begin. Remember, a healthy brain supports a healthy gut and a healthy gut supports a healthy brain!
References
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, 28(2), 203–209.
Chen, Z., Zhang, Z., Liu, J., Qi, H., Li, J., Chen, J., Huang, Q., Liu, Q., Mi, J., & Li, X. (2022). Gut Microbiota: Therapeutic Targets of Ginseng Against Multiple Disorders and Ginsenoside Transformation. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 12, 853981. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2022.853981
Hou, W. Wang, Y. Zheng, P. Cui, R. (2020). Effects of ginseng on neurological disorders. Front. Cell. Neurosci., 20 March 2020. Sec. Cellular Neurophysiology