CF Awareness Month: Did You Know the Gut and Brain are Connected?
As we kick off CF Awareness Month, I started to wonder: are there things that even people with CF or their caregivers aren’t aware of when it comes to their health? Well, most people don’t realize that there is actually a link between the health of your gut, your mood and stress. Since many people with CF have major gut challenges, along with the obvious stress, I thought I’d explain and share a bit about the latest research around this important and fascinating connection .
GUT MICROBES
There are more microbes inside your gut than there are human cells that make up your entire body! That’s right, we’re more than half microbe! So, how can they NOT impact our health? There are trillions of microbes that happily live in your gut. These friendly microbes do more than help us digest foods, make vitamins, and protect us from the not-so-friendly microbes - they have mood-boosting and stress-busting functions too!
GUT MICROBES AND PROBIOTICS
The collection of microbes that live in your gut are known as the microbiome. The “good” microbes are also known as “probiotics.” They are meant to inhabit your digestive tract at an 80/20 ratio with “bad” bacteria. There will always be some bad bacteria in your digestive tract, but when the balance of good and bad is disrupted, there is an increased risk for digestive problems, impaired immunity, skin eruptions and more. Since probiotic balance can be upset by medications, stress, exposure to toxins and the state of your health, it is important to address this if you have CF.
There are many species of probiotic bacteria and, through your nutrition choices, you can support their presence and help them thrive. These live organisms can be ingested in certain foods, drinks, or taken as a supplement. These are some of the same friendly bacteria that turn milk into yogurt, and cabbage into sauerkraut; and they are offer support for your gut health, but also for your mental health. There is a special group of probiotics that have mental health benefits are called “psychobiotics,” (psycho = mental health, and biotics = live). They are live organisms that can benefit our psyche.
PROBIOTIC-RICH FOODS AND SUPPLEMENTS
So, where do we find them? Probiotics can be found in yogurt, sauerkraut (and other fermented veggies), miso, tempeh, and kimchi. You can also drink them in the form of kefir or kombucha.
Of course, there are a number of probiotic supplements available too. Check with your healthcare provider to identify which one is best for you. Generally, I look for one that’s refrigerated and has at least 10 billion active cultures. I also suggest you look for one that has been “third party tested,” which means someone outside the company has tested it to verify its quality and efficacy.
Also, be sure to read the label before taking any supplements. The probiotics with the most research are of the Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus types. But there is not enough known about their psychobiotic effects to make specific mood-boosting suggestions yet.
SIMPLE, PROBIOTIC-RICH RECIPES
Here are a couple of favorite recipes….eating bugs never tasted so good!!
Sauerkraut and Turkey Bacon Avocado Toast
THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION
It may not seem obvious or intuitive, but your body is interconnected in many ways and, as I said, more research is focusing on the “microbiome-gut-brain axis.” It’s the very complex connection between your gut, its microbes, and your brain. It’s actually been said that this new field has created a “paradigm shift in neuroscience” (Dinan, 2017).
There are a number of ways that science is beginning to understand how our gut microbes can affect the brain. One is via the “vagus” nerve, which is a nerve that directly connects your gut to your brain. The other way is through “biochemical messengers.” Biochemicals that are made in your gut and travel throughout the body to communicate with other organs, including your brain. Examples of biochemicals include short chain fatty acids, cytokines, and even tryptophan (the amino acid that the neurotransmitters melatonin and serotonin are made from).
MOOD, STRESS, AND YOUR MICROBES
Several studies have shown that stressed rodents not only have increased stress hormones and stressed behaviors, but they also have different gut microbes. This has also been studied, to a small extent, in people. One study showed that moms with high levels of stress hormones during pregnancy had infants with more of the “bad” gut microbes.
But, can it work the other way around? Can changing our gut microbes affect our moods and stress responses?
Studies of rodents that grow up without any gut microbes at all (in a “bacteria-free” environment) respond to stress more than mice with normal gut microbes. Then, when they’re given either a probiotic or gut microbes from non-stressed mice, their stress responses often go back to normal.
In one study, it was stated that “gut microbiota and probiotics alter behavior and brain neurochemistry.” (Ait-Belgnaoui, et. al., 2012) That’s a pretty powerful statement.
Many animal studies show positive effects on behavior when given probiotic supplements. For example, after a probiotic, stressed rats had lower levels of both stress hormones and an inflammatory molecule associated with depression (“LPS” - lipopolysaccharide). Human studies show that after a few weeks of taking probiotic foods or supplements, healthy people have reduced stress hormones, feelings of stress, negative thoughts, and sad moods.
One fascinating study showed that when people took probiotics, brain MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) tests showed reduced brain activity for negative and aggressive thoughts!
PREBIOTICS
I already mentioned the benefits of consuming probiotic-rich foods. What happens once these good gut microbes take up residence in our guts? We need to feed them of course!
PREbiotics are the food for the beneficial gut microbes and, when fermented in the gut, they can produce specific changes in bacterial composition or activity. They are your friendly gut microbes’ favorite delicacies so they’ll happily grow, and multiply. Prebiotics are basically foods that contain fiber. Things like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Even dark chocolate (preferably with at least 70% cacao). Foods that are particularly high in prebiotics include jicama, asparagus, avocado, whole grains, and allium vegetables like onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots. I recommend nourishing your gut microbes by including these foods more often (start by adding in a serving of even one of these foods daily).
Giving animals prebiotics has been shown to reduce stress hormones, and anxiety-related behaviors. In people, studies so far have shown that taking psychobiotics along with prebiotics can improve both the microbes in our gut, as well as our mood.
Here are a couple of delicious prebiotic recipes to keep the good bugs fed and happy (and keep you happy too!)
Need help with a nutrition plan personalized to support your digestive health? Schedule a Free Consultation with me and let’s talk about how to make better nutrition a reality for you!
