We all know what it’s like to have a craving for an unhealthy meal; a burger with fries, maybe some chicken wings and dipping sauce, and what about an ice cream sundae to top off your guilt meal with a cherry on top. Now that you have enjoyed your meal and you feel satisfied, your satisfaction is short lived as your stomach begins to introduce itself to the food that you just consumed, and your energy drains despite your best efforts to fight the food coma. Shortly after your food coma has ended, you pay no attention to the impacts the food you just consumed has on your body, instead you carry on, business as usual by grabbing a snack, sipping on a drink, finishing up a paper, or continuing the nap from before.
The issue in consistently ingesting unhealthy foods, or foods with low nutritional values is that our bodies struggle to accommodate for the loss of the microbiota that is found in our gut. As the levels of gut microbiota decrease with every unhealthy food choice, our physical, but also our mental health drains with it. New research has found some compelling evidence between the link of our gut bacteria and our brains, or in other words, our gut-brain axis. More specifically, researchers have found a negative link between low levels of gut microbiota and depression; the lower the levels of microbiota are, the higher a person is susceptible to depression. This finding is supported by the link that was made between the low amount of microbiota found in the guts of patients with depression.
What is Microbiota?
Microbiota is a group of beneficial bacteria that are found in the gut, which increase instantly shortly after birth. The number of bacteria found in the gut can go up or down based on external or internal influences.
Common Contributing Factors
Poor diets are quite common in todays' society, especially since the urbanization of foods, the increase of fast food chains, and the simplicity of ordering food online with a couple of taps on your cellphone, and your food reaches your door with in 20 minutes or less.
The issue in developing unhealthy eating habits can have an impact on the individuals' mental health. Unhealthy diets are the most influential factor, since they destroy the healthy microbiota, cause dysfunction in the gut-brain axis, and increase the person's susceptibility to mental illnesses. The link between unhealthy diets, low gut microbiota, and depression is being used to explain why might some patients with depression develop a resistance to treatments.
Poor diets are not the only contributing factor to having low microbiota levels, the use of antibiotics is another common factor. Antibiotics destroy both healthy and unhealthy bacteria found in our bodies, and failing to replenish the healthy bacteria that is in our digestive system can have negative impacts on the body. For instance, a study found that the risk of experiencing a mental disorder is linked to the time of the dose and the dose of the antibiotic.
Stress is also a contributing factor, but researchers are still trying to find more evidence and stronger links the support how stress impacts one's gut microbiota.
Why Should You Care?This new research is important because it addresses the influence our diets and other contributing factors can possibly have on our mental health. If we are not careful, we might find ourselves facing the harsh realities of a mental disorder. This issue of the gut bacteria and the connection it has with our brains is important for us to understand and acknowledge, especially considering the high prevalence rates of mental illnesses, and how they can negatively impact our daily lives. Furthermore, choosing to be slightly health conscious will benefit everyone in the long run as maintaining a healthy diet is beneficial for multiple reasons, including the restoration of our gut microbiota.
How Can YOU Solve This Issue?
Up until this moment, you might have been overwhelmed with the new research and information, but do not fret, for this complex issue has a simple, and an attainable solution. The most recommended solution is to reintroduce probiotics and prebiotics into your diet.
Probiotics. Foods such as yogurt, other fermented foods, and probiotic supplements.
Prebiotics. Foods that are high in omega-3, fatty acids, and prebiotic supplements.
Other suggestions include introducing more nutritional foods into your diet, exercising, indulging in Mediterranean food (but take it easy on the bread and other carbs), taking advantage of medical therapy, and consider consulting a professional, such as a dietitian.
How Will This Benefit You?
Introducing a healthier lifestyle will benefit you in more ways than one; regulating the gut microbiota has been linked to benefiting people with psychological and physiological problems, and restoring a healthy level of microbiota can allow for the improvement of these disorders. Restoring microbiota is linked with improving and stabilizing physical health and mental wellbeing.
Foods that are rich in probiotics have been linked to improving behaviour and cognition, which can be beneficial for people who struggle with depression. Probiotics have been linked to alleviating insomnia and anxiety.
Medical therapy and physical activity are linked to regulating gut microbiota and improving the symptoms of depression.
Liang, S., Wu, X., Hu, X., Wang, T., & Jin, F. (2018). Recognizing depression from the microbiota–gut–brain axis. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(6), 1592.
Sekirov, I., Russell, S. L., Antunes, L. C. M., & Finlay, B. B. (2010). Gut microbiota in health and disease. Physiological reviews, 90(3), 859-904.
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