Gut health and depression are closely interconnected. 1 in 5 people will suffer from depression in their life. With such a high number it is noteworthy to take into consideration the link between the gut, the brain, and the emotions. Let’s talk about gut health and depression!
Have you ever had to give a presentation and felt butterflies in your stomach? Or started thinking about food and had your stomach start to noisily rumble? This is because the brain and the gut are very closely connected. More and more research is being done that verifies this connection between the two.
Gut health and depression
The human body is designed to function in harmony. But how could the gut impact the brain and emotions? Well, an imbalance in the gut microbiota can cause a dysfunction in the axis connecting the gut and the brain.
We often think of the brain calling all the shots but the gut is actually the largest organ in the body. This makes it a very important part of true health in all areas. The gut is filled with bacteria which is often called the microbiome. Within this microbiome, there has to be a balance of good vs. bad bacteria at an 80/20 ratio. If that balance is off the body will not function correctly and illness will occur over time.
So what causes the balance to be off? Stress, processed food, antibiotics, and pesticides are all very high in our culture and those things destroy the good bacteria.
Gut health and depression
The link between gut health and depression is huge. When the gut is not healthy there is a tremendous impact on the emotional and mental health of the person. The gut plays a vital role in hormone production, immune system, and the nervous system. The gut is now being called the second brain of the body for this reason. Thus, gut health and depression are linked.
Perhaps we should start looking at gut health first when treating depression instead of focusing on the brain and emotions.
Good gut health will help mental health be healthy as well. Fix the gut health and depression will be impacted as well.
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