In my work as a naturopath I see a lot of poor digestive (gut) function. For many people, bloating, flatulence, runny poo or perhaps constipation become the norm. These symptoms can leave you feeling sluggish and unwell. It can also express itself as anxiety, depression or low mood, having a short temper and other unexpected side effects. I often look at how the gut is working as a sign of someone’s overall health. It’s often a key part of the first stage of treatment as it can have a fundamental effect on their overall health.

What does the gut have to do with my mental health?

There is a nerve, called the vagus nerve, which runs from your brain through to your digestive system. Specifically, it runs through your stomach and ends at your small intestine. This nerve sends messages between your brain and gut as part of the parasympathetic nervous system or the ‘rest and digest’ phase. It’s why the phrase ‘gut feeling’ is actually quite real!

The messages transmitted through the vagus nerve are influenced by your microbiome, or the balance of bacteria and other organisms found in your gut. What we consume affects the balance of the microbiome – poor choices such as fried and processed foods, alcohol etc, help the more toxic organisms flourish while good quality vegetables and fruit help the “good” bacteria flourish. The toxic organisms are named as such because they let off toxic substances that harm your body. This affects neurotransmitter production and in turn your mood.

Neurotransmitters are the information signals that make you feel happy (or not) and many of them, such as GABA and serotonin are produced by a healthy digestive system.

These messages also flow in the other direction – stress, anxiety, fatigue all impact your microbiome too. If you’re constantly in ‘fight or flight’ or sympathetic nervous system response, your body doesn’t get a chance to properly digest the food you are eating, leading to inflammation and a toxic gut.
It can become a bit of a vicious cycle.

What does all this mean for me and how do I break the cycle?

If you’re constantly tired, stressed, anxious, or just feel like you’re not coping as well as you feel you should be, then naturopathic support can definitely help. If you have a history of an upset tummy, constipation, diarrhea, bloating, wind or reflux then getting some naturopathic support is likely to help even more. Making changes to your diet and lifestyle, as well as backing up these changes with nutrient and herbal support where needed may just change how you feel and your outlook on life for the better.

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