What is the Gut-Brain Connection?

Have you ever wondered why you get an upset stomach if you’re under a lot of stress? Or, maybe you’ve felt better emotionally after having certain foods and you’ve always been confused about that connection? Do you often wonder: does your gut affect your brain? Well, the answer to all these questions lies in the complex workings of the gut brain connection. 

That’s right! Your gut and your brain are connected in many complex ways. And the result of that gut brain connection is the relationship between your mental health and the types of foods you eat. In fact, the gut brain connection goes beyond simple digestion as it impacts your mood, mental and physical health, and your overall well-being.

Understanding how these two systems interact can shed light on issues like anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. Along with that, the gut brain connection can also help us understand the impact of our diet on our mental health. 

So, grab a steaming cup of peppermint tea—which is excellent for energy and concentration—and let’s take a deep dive into understanding our internal communication system known as the gut-brain axis!

How Are the Gut and Brain Connected?

Did you know that your gut is often referred to as your second brain? That's because the gut and the brain are in constant communication with each other. The gut brain connection is a bidirectional relationship, which means that communication occurs in both directions from the gut to the brain, and vice versa. 

So, both the gut and the brain are able to constantly influence each other in ways that impact our mood, emotions, and cognitive functions. This communication network is known as the gut-brain axis, which includes many complex direct and indirect interactions between the gastrointestinal tract (the gut) and the brain.

Watch this video to understand what the gut is and how it functions!

This gut brain connection operates by the use of several neural, hormonal, and immunological pathways, which are used between the gut and the brain to send each other signals back and forth. And out of all of these pathways, the vagus nerve is called the primary pathway between the gut and the brain. The reason for this is because the vagus nerve is one of the longest nerves in your body (from your brain to your gut); it carries information from your brain to other organs in the body.

The vagus nerve’s path is through the neck, chest, and abdomen, and it is responsible for regulating your breathing, heart rate, immune health, and digestion. It also signals your gut muscles to carry the food through the digestive system, while also discarding the toxic waste out of the digestive tract.

It’s fascinating to note that apart from your brain, the gut is the most populated place with nerve cells than any other part of the body. This is why the gut brain connection is able to communicate both ways, because your gut is the second home for your nerve cells. And these nerve cells are constantly talking to each other about the health of the gut and the brain. As a result, you may feel anxious or depressed when you’re struggling with digestive issues, or vice versa where your stress or anxiety may be accompanied with gut health issues.

Therefore, if we can foster a healthy gut with a healthy microbiome, then it can help us lead better physical and mental health.

How Does Your Gut Affect Your Brain?

Your gut has trillions of microbes that are responsible for maintaining your gut and overall health. For instance, a healthy gut microbiome is able to help produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, which can influence your sleep, bowel movements, mood, and cognitive function. 

So, if you ask how are the gut and brain connected? Then, the answer is pretty clear! It seems that improving your gut health by including more prebiotics, probiotics, and polyphenols in your diet can have positive effects on your overall physical and mental well being.

Poor diet—that is composed of C.R.A.P. (Concentrated, Refined, Artificial, Preservatives) foods—can weaken the gut barrier, which allows bacteria and inflammatory toxins to leak into the bloodstream. This is a condition known as leaky gut, and it’s one of the main reasons for gut inflammation, weight gain, and even mental health issues.

In other words, if you have a leaky gut, then that could lead to brain fog and a lack of concentration in your day-to-day life. In fact, studies have shown that eating a diet that lacks fiber, but is abundant in concentrated sugars, refined carbohydrates, artificial colors/sweeteners, and preservatives can lead to irregular appetite and cravings of junk food. 

Basically, an irregular appetite will leave you feeling hungry all the time, so you’re eating more or eating unhealthy food to satisfy those sugar cravings. This can lead to gut dysbiosis (an imbalance of good bacteria in comparison to bad bacteria in the gut), which will eventually lead to weight gain and symptoms of depression. 

This gut brain connection doesn’t have to serve your body this way, though. You can actually use this connection to help both your physical and mental health. How so, you ask?

You have to fix your diet to help your mental health, and you have to manage your mental health in order to help fix your digestive issues. This includes managing your stress levels, since that also plays a large role in this gut brain connection.

How Does Stress Affect the Gut Brain Connection?

When we think of stress, we normally think of everyday challenges that might affect our mood, behavior, and sometimes even our appetite. But, stress is actually far more influential than simply affecting you on the surface, especially if your body is in a constant state of being stressed. 

To put it simply, stress affects your gut brain connection by increasing the levels of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a hormone that helps our body prepare for and respond to stress; it’s made in the adrenal glands to help us remain alert in stressful situations. It’s important to note that increased cortisol levels also increase your blood sugar levels in order to help your body sustain itself when it’s in the fight or flight mode.

But, the problem occurs when your body is stuck in this state of fight or flight. This means that your body is constantly producing an excessive amount of cortisol. Excess cortisol, in turn, triggers your liver to produce more sugar, and when you have too much sugar, it will turn into fat. 

In fact, the number one reason for weight gain and belly fat is increased cortisol levels. As a result, stress increases the cortisol levels in your body, which leads to increased fat (especially around your face and abdomen), and this further leads to fluctuating moods and maybe even depression. 

Here are some some common symptoms of increased cortisol levels in the body:

• Randomly waking up in the middle of the night around 2-3 am
• Weight gain, particularly around the face and abdomen, as well as fatty deposits between the shoulder blades
• Purple stretch marks on the belly, muscle weakness in the upper arms and thighs
• Insulin resistance & high blood sugar, which can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension) is also a potential symptom
• Excessive hair growth
• Excessive urination
• Mood swings
• Increased thirst
• Weak bones (which can lead to osteoporosis)

These symptoms suggest that stress not only affects your mood and behavior, but it also has a profound impact on your gut brain connection. 

What is the Stress-Gut-Weight Connection?

Your stress can not only affect your gut, but can also be the reason behind those stubborn pounds. This is because increased cortisol levels promote illnesses and digestive issues, which in turn affect your weight management efforts and your mental well being. 

So, what are some specific physical and mental health problems caused by stress? Though there are many health issues associated with increased stress levels, here are some ways your stress affects your weight management efforts, gut health, and mental health: 

1. As discussed above, when you are under stress your body releases cortisol. But, if you are constantly in that fight or flight state, your cortisol levels will always be high. This means that your sugar levels will also be high (and so will be your insulin). At some point, these excess cortisol levels will lead to excess insulin, and eventually it can result in insulin resistance. Your body will begin to use that excess sugar to convert it into fat; remember, increased belly fat leads to gut issues as well.

2. Stress can cause constipation and affect your gut health through several mechanisms including disruption in your nervous system, changes in hormone levels, changes in gut motility, alterations to the gut microbiome, and changes in your diet and lifestyle. When you are stressed, it can alter the part of your nervous system that controls digestion (enteric nervous system). Our enteric nervous system controls the movement of food and waste through the stomach and intestines. And stress can significantly affect this function, slow down the motility of food, and cause constipation.

3. High cortisol levels can also make you want to eat more sugary and fattening foods. Of course, it’s much more satisfying to eat a few scoops of ice cream or have a chocolate chip cookie instead of a salad when you are stressed. But, what this does for the long-term is that it tells your body to crave more sugar, and also tells your liver and muscles to produce more glucose, which can all ultimately lead to insulin resistance, weight gain, and chronic inflammation. 

4. Stress can also affect the composition of the gut microbiome, which can result in gas, bloating, indigestion, and constipation. Basically, stress is able to alter the balance of the good gut bacteria in comparison to the bad bacteria, and this imbalance can disrupt the normal functioning of the digestive system.

5. Stress can also lead to changes in your diet and lifestyle. For example, stress can cause you to eat less fiber, drink less water, and crave more unhealthy, sugary foods. It can also keep you away from your exercise routines and relaxation strategies. This will eventually impact your physical and mental health in a negative way, and can reduce your overall quality of life.

Without serious strategies that help you manage your stress, all of the paths above can lead you into a never-ending destructive cycle for your body. Therefore, it’s important to solve these issues through using certain methods that can improve your stress, and ultimately, your gut and brain health. 

How to Improve Your Physical and Mental Health Using the Gut-Brain Axis?

To improve your overall physical and mental health using the gut brain connection, you have to consider making specific diet and lifestyle changes. One of the most important ideas to keep in mind in your health journey is: You are what you eat.

So, choose foods that provide you with energy and better mental health. Studies have shown that both probiotics and prebiotics not only improve the health of your gut microbiome, but also help keep your brain healthy. These foods make sure that your body is absorbing the essential nutrients without causing conditions like gut inflammation or weight gain. 

In fact, stress has shown some links to inflammation in the body, which means that using an anti-inflammatory diet enriched with prebiotics, probiotics, and polyphenols may potentially reduce symptoms of stress like loss of appetite or mood swings. Our WOW (Winning Over Weight) Program does this exceptionally by working with you to make specific diet and lifestyle changes to help you lose weight and feel like the best version of yourself!

Both probiotics and prebiotics have also shown positive effects on lowering cortisol levels in the body. This means that eating certain foods that help increase the community of good gut bacteria in your digestive system can help you improve your mental health.

Here are some foods that help strengthen the health of your gut-brain axis:

• Foods containing omega-3 fats such as fish, nuts, and seeds are found to increase the population of the good gut bacteria and improve brain health. 
• Foods that are rich in magnesium like black beans, chickpeas, edamame, and cooked tempeh are all great brain foods.
• Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and miso are great options to increase the population of probiotics in your gut, which can help reduce the chances of brain disorders. 
• Foods that are enriched in prebiotic fibers like whole grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits have all shown great progress in reducing cortisol levels and improving brain function. 
• Foods that are rich in polyphenols like green tea, coffee, blueberries, and dark chocolate all help increase the population of the good gut bacteria and are also able to starve the bad bacteria (by stealing their food) which reduces their population. These foods are known as super foods because they are great sources of energy and can improve cognitive function.

In addition, some studies have shown that Ashwagandha supplements are also great for your overall health and are excellent in maintaining the health of your gut brain connection.

So, now that we’ve talked about improving your gut health to influence your brain health, you’re probably wondering how to use the gut-brain axis the other way around. So, what are some things you can do to improve your brain health, which will prevent gut issues, inflammation, and stubborn weight gain?

Well, you have to make sure to keep your brain healthy, and this includes things like getting enough sleep, reducing stress, avoiding binge eating, exercising, and meditating. This is because high stress levels can cause brain fog, poor short term memory, difficulty concentrating, and a lack of mental alertness, which are all hindrances for your everyday physical and cognitive function. 

Here are some specific strategies that you can use to reduce stress, improve brain health, and ultimately improve your gut health: 

• Discuss your stresses with your loved ones (friends, family members); they might be able to guide you in the right direction, and you won’t feel like you’re all alone in a situation.
• Go for a walk or exercise to reduce your stress. Walking in nature has shown to reduce cortisol levels and helps you manage your weight better.
• Write down your emotions or your stresses in a journal. Writing down your thoughts on paper can help you manage them better; you can try to work on the things you can control, and let go of those that you cannot.
• Listen to music or read a book before bedtime (avoid using your phone) to help you properly wind down and relax before the end of the night.
• Write down 3 things that you are grateful for every day. This will bring positivity in your life and help you manage stress better on a day-to-day basis.
• Don’t hesitate to see a mental health therapist if you are really struggling, because they might be able to help you better manage your stress and lead a healthier, happier life.
• Meditate or do breathing exercises; these are great ways to reset your brain, quiet the mind, think of new ideas to solve problems, and even help you find your calm in extremely stressful situations.

Ultimately, you should work on reducing your stress by doing the things that make you happy. Because when you reduce your stress, you will automatically lower your cortisol levels, which will lead to better weight management and overall health.

Conclusion (and some brain food recipes!)

So, what are some specific delicious and nutritious brain foods that you can have on a daily basis to strengthen your gut brain connection?

Here is a list of some yummy brain foods that you can have to improve your gut health and brain function:

• Nuts and Seeds (walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, hemp seeds): Try this Chocolate Blueberry Hemp Smoothie!
• Beans: Try these Spicy Black Bean Tacos!
• Dark and leafy greens (kale, spinach, broccoli): Try this yummy Quinoa, Spinach, and Sweet Potato Salad!
• Avocados: Try this delicious Avocado Berry Smoothie!
• Whole Grains: Try these Overnight Oats—Four Ways!
• Dark Chocolate: Try this mouth-watering Tofu-Chocolate Mousse!

Some other brain foods that are great: Fish (Salmon), Blueberries, Tomatoes, Green Tea, and Red Wine.

Want to learn more about how to help strengthen your gut brain connection? 

Join the WOW (Winning Over Weight) Waitlist today!