May 29th is International Digestive Health Day, which makes this a perfect time to discuss something that those of us in orthomolecular medicine have always known, and that mainstream medicine is now paying increasing attention to – the connection between our digestive health and our mental health. Esteemed medical institutions like Harvard and Johns Hopkins are now openly discussing this connection, and pointing to how paying greater attention to that connection is revolutionizing medical understanding and treatment.
Any time that you have to make a “gut-wrenching decision” that causes actual, physical discomfort, or you have “butterflies in your stomach” when you are nervous, your brain and your gut are interacting. Your brain is sending signals to your Enteric Nervous System (ENS), the tens of millions of nerve cells that line the interior walls of your entire digestive tract, to cause these sensations. Some scientists are now suggesting that it might often be the other way around – that our bodies pick up on cues from our environment, and our ENS reacts so as to send warning signals to the brain. There is also growing evidence that ENS triggers play a significant role in mood swings and that people with digestive tract challenges such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome have a significantly higher incidence of anxiety, depression, and other cognitive challenges. This connection is so profound that many in medicine now refer to the ENS as our “second brain.”
Again, orthomolecular practitioners have long spoken of this connection. We recognize how external stress can lead to stress (and inflammation) in the gut, and vice-versa. We know that malabsorption can greatly impact the body’s production of key neurotransmitters that regulate anxiety, depression, and a host of other cognitive concerns. We warn of Leaky Gut Syndrome in which a buildup of yeast in our digestive tract interacts with poor dietary choices to “brew” toxins that are released into our bloodstream and directly impact our brain function.
Clearly, maintaining digestive health can go a long way in helping us optimize cognitive health. WebMD.com offers several worthwhile suggestions for doing just that. Some of those suggestions include:
- After eating, relax for a short while to allow your body time to digest your food, and create the gastric juices needed to do so
- Avoid junk food, especially when it comes to snacking – plan meals and focus on eating whole foods both at meals and as snacks
- Drink lots of water throughout the day
- Exercise regularly in order to reduce stress
We would like to add one more important suggestion to this list – know your biochemistry. Understanding your biochemical makeup can greatly impact the foods you should eat and the steps you should take to maintain a healthy gut and by extension a healthy brain. We encourage you to call our main clinic or email us at info@mensahmedical.com so we can help you in testing, and understanding, your biochemistry.
