It’s undeniable there is a mental health epidemic in the UK that needs to be taken seriously. The stark reality is that approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. [mind.org.uk]
What simple ways can we look after our mental health?
New research has found a link between gut microbes and mental illness. Common things like antibiotics, chlorinated water, junk food, household cleaning products have disrupted our microbial balance. The toxins in our food and our environment kill off the beneficial microbes that protect us.
Environmental exposures disrupt a person’s Microbiome in ways that could increase the likelihood of developing conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, allergies, and inflammatory bowel disease.[1]
Microbiome who?
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health, the Microbiome is the collection of all microbes, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their genes, that naturally live on our bodies and inside us. They protect us against pathogens, help our immune system develop, and enable us to digest food to produce energy. [2]
In the last decade, research has found that the impact of our internal microbes extends far beyond digestion, demonstrating a major link between what’s happening between our gut and brain. Our microbes are talking to our brains 24/7; they do this via our metabolic system, immune system, blood-brain barrier, endocrine, and nervous systems. This communication is bidirectional; your brain is responding to your gut and vice-versa.
When our gut microbiota becomes compromised by our environment, diet, and lifestyle, dysbiosis occurs. This is where our gut and brain stop helping each other. Dysbiosis has been implicated in everything from anxiety to Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, depression, and Parkinson’s disease. Simply put, disruptions to our gut health directly affect our mental health.
Changing our diet, nurturing our Microbiome is a natural solution to helping heal our minds.
What can you do to create a healthy symbiotic relationship between gut and brain? Here are two activities to kickstart a positive connection:
[1] Claus SP, Guillou H, Ellero-Simatos S. 2016. The gut microbiota: a major player in the toxicity of environmental pollutants? NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes; doi:10.1038/npjbiofilms.2016.3 [Online 4 May 2016] [Abstract Claus SP, Guillou H, Ellero-Simatos S. 2016. The gut microbiota: a major player in the toxicity of environmental pollutants? NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes; doi:10.1038/npjbiofilms.2016.3 [Online 4 May 2016]] [10.1038/npjbiofilms.2016.3 Claus SP, Guillou H, Ellero-Simatos S. 2016. The gut microbiota: a major player in the toxicity of environmental pollutants? NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes; doi:10.1038/npjbiofilms.2016.3 [Online 4 May 2016]]
