The Key to Healing Anxiety and Depression Is a Healthy Gut by Victoria Emanuela
Here are just a few things that our beneficial gut bacteria do for us:
+ they manufacture vitamins+ train our immune system, especially on targeting pathogens and deadly viruses+ produce small amounts of antibiotics to ward off harmful microbes+ regulate our nervous system+ energize our gut, so it can carry out important tasks+ break down toxins+ produce various neurotransmitters like serotonin, also known for its mood-boosting power
So what happens when the gut microbiome goes whack?
The importance of healthy intestinal flora (otherwise known as beneficial gut bacteria) is enormous. Anytime we have gut bacteria that lack harmony, especially if proportions of beneficial bacteria are dysfunctional, studies show that we run the risk of attracting chronic digestive issues, IBS, food allergies, depression and anxiety, obesity, inflammation, as well as other diseases.A healthy gut contains an incredible amount of probiotic bacteria, but a huge issue in the world of modern medicine is the overuse of antibiotics, which is detrimental to our gut if used too often. Antibiotics are useful in killing non-resistant pathogenic bacteria, but this also comes with a cost because they unfortunately kill all the beneficial bacteria too. There is no way to target one without annihilating the other and so this is a huge dilemma. When good bacteria becomes wiped out by the overuse of antibiotics, all those helpful little dudes become weaker and can't do their job protecting your body from pathogens and poor health. Constant stress, an unhealthy diet, and exposure to environmental toxins will also impair your beneficial gut bacteria.
So what's this have to do with anxiety and depression?
The typical consensus in our society is that depression is caused by poor production of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, but here's the thing, it's actually the neurons in our gut that manufacture most of this serotonin.
Over 80% of it, actually!
Serotonin is responsible for producing feelings of well-being, happiness, and balancing our mood. That's not all it's responsible for, though; serotonin also effects the functionality of our gut, like how well things move around and how effectively we digest food!This neurotransmitter also requires certain nutrients to aid in its biosynthesis, including magnesium, vitamin B6, and 5-HTP. Without these vital nutrients present in our systems, it becomes difficult for enough serotonin to be manufactured by our neurons.Usually the first clue to feeling like poo is often linked to something funky in the gut; this also happens to be highly overlooked in people suffering from chronic illness and mental health issues. You see, each of us is an entire ecosystem; we are our own rain forests, our own ant farms, our own Earth, and we have to take care of ourselves in a way that supports the vast array of symbiotic life forms in our body.Optimizing our nutrient intake is crucial to a healthy body, gut, and mind. Some of us are genetically predisposed to having a poor stress response and even nervous diseases, however, these genes do not assure we will inevitably live with these issues. This is because genes can be turned on or off based on the environments that they're in. If we provide ourselves a nutrient rich and gut friendly diet, good coping skills, an environment limited in harmful stress, and helpful self-care regimen, those genes that make us sick can remain inactive.Several studies even suggest that consuming specific kinds of beneficial bacteria may alter the activity in our brain and even quiet anxiety. How is this possible? Well, plenty of our gut bacteria manufacture chemicals in the brain! Streptococcus and enterococcus, for example, make serotonin, while bifido-bacterium produce GABA, a type of neurotransmitter that plays a vital role in our response to stress. These little guys, among many, help combat depression and anxiety in ways we hardly give them credit for.In fact, they even reward us with feel good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine when we feed them, so next time you're "hangry," it might not be all you.
Okay, so you're probably like, "I get the picture, now help me with my gut!"
More at http://www.victoriaemanuela.com/new-blog/2017/2/28/probiotics-prebiotics-and-why-they-can-help-you-heal
http://www.victoriaemanuela.com/new-blog/