THE ROLE OF GUT BACTERIA AND PROBIOTICS ON MENTAL HEALTH
The colon contains trillions of bacteria that create a unique gut microbiome system that helps digest the food, allow nutrients to get into the bloodstream, and keep the pathogens away. Life space probiotics contain beneficial natural bacteria and yeast that help optimize the metabolism and gut functioning keeping the body healthy for a long time. Recent studies have shown that gut bacteria play a key role in enhancing a person’s mental health by helping them relieve their stress, anxiety and depression.
What Is the Link Between Food and Emotions?
Biologically speaking, the brain and the digestive system are connected by the vagus nerve. The gut is sometimes referred to as the ‘second brain’ of the human body because of its ability to work without direct signals from the brain. A significant amount of research shows that bidirectional communication between the brain and the digestive system as eating healthy food fuels brain functioning.
The microbiome present in the gut containing helpful parasites, viruses, fungi and bacteria coexist in a homeostatic state and help run the body operations smoothly, physically and mentally. The nutrients obtained by the well-digested food provide the energy one needs to accomplish their daily task, triggering happy feelings.
1) Vagus Nerve and Digestion
The vagus nerve helps with the motility of the food through the digestive tract, stimulates enzymes required for digestion and communicates appetite to the brain. As mentioned above, the vagus nerve connects the digestive system and the brain acting as the gut-brain axis that plays a vital role in the mental health, illnesses of the brain and even Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This explains why a person might experience indigestion, constipation or diarrhoea when they are stressed. And it is a known fact that physical illness can take a toll on a person’s positive emotions.
2) Gut Microbiome, Inflammation and Depression
A healthy body has a gut with a balanced microbiome containing diverse microorganisms. When it isn’t balanced, the opportunistic microbes take advantage and multiply themselves, leading to damages in the digestive system known as dysbiosis. The body responds to the unwanted proliferation of bacteria by developing inflammation that can contribute to depression and anxiety in a person. One of the best ways to prevent this is to take a balanced diet with a healthy mix of plant-based food.
3) Probiotics Regulate Neurotransmitters
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter known as the ‘happy hormone’ as it regulates mood, anxiety and happiness. The microbes present in the gut help transform the food that people take into short-chain fatty acids that communicate with the cells to produce serotonin. Keeping the gut healthy can produce more serotonin, keeping the person happy. Some probiotic bacteria produce GABA or Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid that helps calm the nervous system by switching off stress reactions.
Probiotics for a Better Mental Health
Probiotics not only provide health benefits to the gut but also the brain. These are either naturally found in the microbiome of the gut or food supplements like kefir and yoghurt.
When there is a deficiency of natural probiotics in the body, it helps take reliable supplements like life space probiotics. These contain helpful Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and other such species to increase the efficiency of the digestive system. A field called psychobiotics investigates the impact of probiotics and mental health. Their research shows that these bacteria help enhance stress and anxiety resilience.
Therefore, maintaining a healthy microbiome with well-balanced food and life space probiotics can positively affect the body’s ecosystem and mental health.
