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The idea that many of our emotions and feelings are linked to the gut is centuries old. Over 2,000 years ago, the Romans referenced what we today describe as a “gut feeling”! Modern science indicates the gut does play a role in mental health.
The gut is covered in nerve cells (neurons), cells that transmit signals to other neurons, fundamental to our brains. Research suggests this network, known as the enteric nervous system, contains more than 100 million neurons. This complex network of cells in our gut is able to function independently of the brain and spinal cord, earning itself the title of ‘second brain’.
Although this ‘second brain’ doesn’t actually do any “thinking”, the gut is far more than just a mechanism for processing and digesting our food. The gut plays a vital role in providing the brain with neurochemicals such as serotonin which influences mood.
Developing research shows that the majority of the information coming from the gut to the brain is from gut microbes, which respond to a variety of external influences from diet to stress. It is through the composition and actions of these microbes that the gut is thought to play a role in impacting mental health.
Alongside other factors such as our genes, our diets play a role in determining how we cope with stress and deal with life traumas. Both human and animal studies have established links between poor diet and poor mental health.
One of the reasons that diet is important is because the large intestine, a component of the gut which is relatively heavily populated with microbes, acts as a giant fermentation organ. The microbes within it break down certain fibres producing various substances, several of which have been linked to positive health outcomes.
One particularly important product for the brain is the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan in our diet is broken down by a group of gut microbes called Bifidobacteria, into smaller metabolites that can cross the blood-brain barrier. The brain needs a constant supply of tryptophan metabolites as they are the building blocks for the mood-regulating hormone serotonin but levels can be depleted due to lack of Bifidobacterium in the gut as a result of poor diet.
Making sure the right types of bacteria are flourishing in your gut appears to be a crucial part of keeping your brain working effectively but because people’s guts are so complex, and different, scientists are still trying to establish the exact definition of a healthy microbiome. What we do know for now is that a good diet plays an important role in keeping your brain healthy.
By Ahana Ogle
About the Writer: Ahana Ogle is a Nutrition and Food Management with Foundation Year student that enjoys the vibrancy of London living, trying different cuisines, and visiting museums and art galleries.
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