If you’ve ever experienced “the butterflies” from first-date jitters or twisting knots in your stomach while reading an aggressive work email (which, if you’re a living, breathing human, we’re guessing you have), then you already know your emotions can impact your gut.
What you might not realize, though, is just how much your gut health influences your emotional state. That’s right, the relationship goes both ways. “Poor gut health can lead to poor mental health,” explains Jaz Robbins, Psy.D., B.C.H.N., a licensed psychologist, board-certified holistic nutritionist, author, and faculty member at Pepperdine University. “And, people with anxiety, depression, or other emotional concerns also often experience gut health issues, too.”
So, how exactly might the state of your gut be driving the state of your mental health? Here’s the expert breakdown on the gut-brain connection, some of the digestive system mishaps that can backfire on your mental health, and how to nourish your gut for a sunnier emotional state.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Jaz Robbins, Psy.D., B.C.H.N., is a licensed psychologist, board-certified holistic nutritionist, author, and faculty member at Pepperdine University. Supriya Rao, M.D., is a quadruple board-certified physician in internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine, and Managing Partner at Integrated Gastroenterology Consultants in MA.
the Gut-Brain Connection
Your gut and brain are quite literally connected via what’s called the gut-brain axis. “It’s a two-way communication system between your brain and your digestive system,” explains Robbins. One of the main connection points is the vagus nerve, which begins in the brain and travels down the body to the digestive tract. Not only can your brain send signals to your digestive system via this nerve, but “your gut can also send signals that affect your mood, stress levels, and mental health,” Robbins notes. Millions of nerve endings, which make up the enteric nervous system, plug the digestive system into the vagus nerve. (This is why many experts refer to the gut as the “second brain”.)
The intestines are also responsible for producing significant amounts of certain neurotransmitters, chemical messengers that affect the nervous system, mood, and stress levels, explains Supriya Rao, M.D., a quadruple board-certified physician in internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine, and Managing Partner at Integrated Gastroenterology Consultants in MA.
Given the intricate relationship between the gut and the brain, it’s no wonder gut health issues can contribute to—and exacerbate—mental health concerns like mood swings, depression, and anxiety, Rao suggests.
Ways Your Gut Might Contribute to Mental Health Concerns
If you’re experiencing anxiety (or other struggles with mood or mental health), it’s worth examining whether one of a few specific gut issues might be at play. Here are three specific digestive system situations that often derail mental and emotional balance.
1. Your gut isn’t producing enough serotonin
The neurotransmitter serotonin is crucial for mental health. “Serotonin is often referred to as your body’s ‘feel good’ chemical, as low levels are associated with low mood, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance,” explains Robbins. You’d think a mood-related neurotransmitter would originate in the brain, but the gut actually produces up to 90 percent of the body’s serotonin.
Read More: Ways To Boost—And Balance—The ‘Feel Good’ Hormone Serotonin
More research needs to be done to identify the exact connection between the serotonin produced in the gut and your mental state, says Robbins. However, low serotonin in the gut does seem to be connected to poor mental health. In fact, some research suggests that serotonin dysregulation is linked to both inflammatory bowel diseases and mental health conditions like depression.
2. Your gut bacteria are imbalanced
“Inside your gut are trillions of tiny bacteria referred to as your gut microbiota—and they do a lot more than just help with digestion,” says Robbins. In addition to affecting gut function by helping the immune system fight off infections and supporting endocrine and metabolic function, these good gut bacteria also influence the production of serotonin. Two of the most well-studied probiotics, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, also produce a key neurotransmitter called GABA that helps regulate your nervous system, stress response, and sleep, says Robbins.
When imbalances in gut bacteria occur, you may feel the impact on your digestion and your mental state. These imbalances can look like too many harmful bacteria, inadequate beneficial bacteria, or both. They often occur due to illness, excess stress, poor diet, and certain medications (including but not limited to antibiotics), says Robbins.
For example, declines in GABA production due to issues with gut bacteria have been linked to depression, Robbins says. “Some studies also note an increased presence of Clostridium [an infection-causing bacterium often found in the colon] in the microbiomes of those with anxiety,” she adds.
3. Your gut is inflamed
Inflammation in the gut, which occurs when the gut lining is irritated and the immune system is overly active, can wreak havoc on both your digestion and mental balance, according to Rao. “Studies have linked inflammation [in the gut] to depression and anxiety,” adds Robbins. One possible reason for this: Inflammation in the gut—as seen in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)—can disrupt the production and/or absorption of serotonin, Robbins explains.
Often, inflammation is triggered by imbalances in harmful and beneficial gut bacteria, according to Robbins. The inflammation also contributes to increased permeability in the gut lining (also known as a condition called leaky gut), which can allow potentially harmful substances, like disease-causing bacteria, to exit the gut and enter the bloodstream (and cause further inflammation), explains Rao.
Interestingly, this relationship seems to go both ways, as anxiety and stress also contribute to inflammation in the gut, Rao says. (Remember what we said about the overlap between people with IBS and those with anxiety or depression?) “The gut and brain ‘talk’ constantly through the vagus nerve and immune messengers, so inflammation in the gut can directly spark inflammation in the brain and impact mental health,” explains Rao.
4. Your gut isn’t properly absorbing nutrients
While digestion technically starts in the mouth, “the large majority of a food or beverage’s nutrient content is absorbed in the gut,” explains Robbins. Of the numerous key nutrients the gut needs to absorb for optimal health, many—think B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and iron—are essential for the production of serotonin, dopamine (another feel-good hormone), and GABA.
If the body doesn’t absorb enough nutrients in the gut, metabolism, energy production, and hormone production take a hit, Robbins says. As a result, depressive symptoms or other cognitive challenges might pop up.
One common culprit behind nutrient malabsorption? That pesky leaky gut mentioned earlier.
How to Nourish Your Gut Health And Mental Health
Mental health is incredibly nuanced and individual. The quality of our mental and emotional state is influenced by all sorts of factors within and completely outside of our control. That said, given our increasing awareness of the interconnectedness of our digestive system and our brain, bolstering gut health is a solid strategy for ultimately making mental health gains. Here are some foundational ways to fortify your digestive system for greater mental and emotional balance.
1. Eat a balanced, fiber-filled diet
To promote gut health, regardless of your mental health status, the most important thing to focus on is eating a balanced diet built on whole foods. Incorporate a solid mix of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil, fatty fish, and nuts, which are all considered anti-inflammatory foods, says Rao. Minimizing processed foods (especially those loaded with added sugar, which can exacerbate gut inflammation) is also key.
Fiber is also an important part of this equation. “The bacteria in your gut feast on fiber; it is literally their food,” says Robbins. “Consuming foods high in fiber allows your body to nourish its healthy bacteria.” Beans, whole grains like oats, fruits, and vegetables all feed these good gut bugs.
That said, not everyone with gut health issues can handle a high-fiber diet. If you have an inflammatory bowel disease, like Crohn’s disease, you may need to be mindful about how many high-fiber foods you consume and how they’re prepared, Robbins notes. In these cases, working with a dietitian specializing in gut health is the move.
2. Sneak in fermented foods (or supplement with probiotics)
Another way to nourish your gut microbiome—and mental health? Up your intake of probiotics. On your plate, that means fermented foods, which contain the good bacteria your gut needs to function healthily and produce the serotonin required to keep your mood up, explains Robbins. Some fermented go-tos: yogurt (make sure it calls out “live cultures”), kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha.
Don’t eat enough of these foods? Probiotic supplementation can be a good plan. “There have been small studies in which people treated with certain probiotic strains had improvements in stress levels,” says Rao. New research also shows that increasing the amount of good bacteria in the microbiome positively impacts anxiety and depression treatment.
One of the many benefits of putting the damper on stress: increases in anti-inflammatory compounds called short-chain fatty acids, Rao suggests. Produced in the gut when healthy bacteria break down fiber, short-chain fatty acids support nutrient absorption and a healthy gut lining.
3. Stay hydrated
One of the main ingredients of healthy digestion is water. “Water helps to break down your food, which aids your body’s ability to absorb its nutrients,” says Robbins. “It also helps to soften your stool so you can avoid constipation, which is a major gut health disruptor.” Dehydration can also contribute to gut microbiome imbalances that lead to gut (and brain) inflammation, she adds.
Sip water, coconut water, herbal tea, or broth throughout the day to ensure you’re hydrated enough to maintain healthy digestive function and a solid foundation for mental health.
4. Work on stress management as best as you can
Most people are aware of stress’s negative health consequences—and the constant “fight-or-flight” can certainly damage gut health. Chronic elevation of the stress hormone cortisol disrupts normal digestive function, contributing to inflammation (which could result in undesirable symptoms like bloating and abdominal pain, and flare-ups of constipation or diarrhea).
Of course, it’s unrealistic to remove all stress from your life. That means “it’s critically important to look for ways to add calm, laughter, joy, peace, and relaxation,” Robbins says. Doing your best to take more time to slow down and meditate, do mind-body practices like yoga, spend quality time with friends, and engage in hobbies you love can definitely benefit your mental health.
5. Move, move, move
“Exercise promotes positive gut health by aiding digestion, improving immune function, and promoting microbiome balance,” says Robbins. “So, if your body allows you to do so, move it!”
Focus on whatever activities you enjoy, whether playing tennis or pickleball with friends, going to yoga classes, walking with neighbors, taking pilates, or swimming. “Do something that you love, start where you are, and commit to increasing the duration or intensity as your endurance and stamina improve,” says Robbins. This is a sure-fire way to kick-start positive movement in the gut and shift you away from surviving and toward thriving.