Photo Credit: Max Rovensky
Many common health conditions are tied directly to the health of your gut. While addressing the gut may not cure you from every disease, it is often the missing piece of the puzzle!
When patients demonstrate symptoms related to anxiety and depression, there are various ways we can help them. While talk therapy, for example, can be extremely helpful, there are other things we can do on a physiological level to help support their treatment.
Why is gut health linked to anxiety and depression?
Happy chemicals such as serotonin are used by your brain to make you "happy." Guess what? These chemicals are produced in the gut!
90% of your serotonin (a neurotransmitter) is made in the gut by enteroendocrine cells(which line your intestines) along with neurons and immune cells. The amount of chemicals produced is so high that your gut is often known as your second brain. This means that if you are experiencing any mood disorders, including anxiety and depression (people suffering usually have both), it is very likely that you also have digestive issues due to this direct link.
How is depression/anxiety impacted by gut health?
Our bodies cannot create serotonin without proper nutrients and minerals from the foods that we eat. In my practice I address various nutritional deficiencies which can correlate to the healing and restoring gut health. We utilize supplements (vitamins), minerals, herbs and homeopathy along with emphasizing a healthy diet. We also address various foods that inflame (irritate) the gut making it more difficult for proper function( digestion and absorption to occur). If you cannot digest and absorb the healthy foods that you're eating you won't get the benefits of them. Foods such as sugar, wheat, dairy and nuts are often irritating. However, there is no one size fits all protocol to gut health; what may irritate one person can be absorbed by another. This is why doing full medical evaluation, history and physical exam is so important! You are a unique person and should be treated as so! Not everyone should follow the same protocol or take the same products. So, if your gut isn’t working properly, then it won't be able to produce serotonin. Consequently, the levels in your brain drop and you feel sad, anxious, depressed, blue, cranky, crabby, etc.
So, what's the moral of the story? If you balance and fix your gut health you will be much happier.
Stay tuned for my next blog post which will discuss how gut health impacts the health of your skin and how poor gut health can predispose you to autoimmune issues.
In my last blog post of this series I will talk about different ways that natural medicine can balance and restore your gut. Often times patients, by simply following extremely basic steps, can not only improve their digestive health but also their moods.
If you are interested in learning more and want to find out how your health and moods are impacted by your gut health click the button below to schedule your appointment!
If you are interested in further addressing this topic, please feel free to reach out and schedule an appointment. Dr. V is a Chiropractor and Functional Medicine Doctor in Elmhurst, Illinois who evaluates patients from the inside out, focusing on areas including hormone imbalance, digestive health, anxiety/depression, autoimmune disease, and many others.