This Is How Gut Health Affects Your Anxiety

I’m going to let you in on a secret: I have always struggled with anxiety.

I got my first anxiety attack in high school, and honestly I thought I was dying: I was at the movie theatre with a friend, and had to leave mid-movie, and then my parents took me to the ER. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be my first panic attack (once I even had chest x-rays done because it was so persistent–and the doctor said it was simply anxiety and I just needed to relax. Not the most helpful advice).

In fact, that’s how The Nourished Mind got its name: my anxiety had been so bad at it’s height, that I could hardly eat anything, I could barely function. I wanted to learn more about nourishing my mind, not just my body. So I started this blog back in 2015! And since then I’ve learned a lot about what triggers anxiety: lack of sleep, too much caffeine. Loneliness, for example, is a huge anxiety trigger for me. I find whenever I spend too much time on my own, I feel my anxiety increase exponentially. But these aren’t the only things.

Gut Health And Anxiety: How Are They Connected?

Ever heard of the gut-brain axis, or the vagus nerve? It’s the link that your gut has to your brain–and they actually directly affect one another! Is that why, when you’re nervous, you get butterflies? Actually, yeah! We used to think that only the brain affected the gut, but now we know it works the other way too: meaning our gut very much has an effect on our brain.

Fun fact: your gut has up to 500 million neurons! These neurons work together to help with colon contractions to expel waste, but still, it goes to show the importance of taking a holistic approach to health and not just isolating one part of the body.

The gut is also where a lot your body’s neurotransmitters are made.  Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers used by the nervous system. The bacteria in your gut produce up to 95% of your serotonin–the “feel-good” neurotransmitter.

The gut also produces GABA–which is an amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter and can help fight feelings of stress. Basically it binds to GABA receptors in the brain and decreases activity in the nervous system, which has a calming effect. GABA has been shown to be able to reduce stress, anxiety + improve sleep! And one way to increase GABA production? Probiotics-rich foods. 

In fact, one study found that amongst young adults, those who ate the most fermented foods–like miso, kefir, tempeh, and sauerkraut–had lower levels of social anxiety than those who ate less. How cool is that?!

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FOODS THAT MAKE ANXIETY WORSE

So we know that when it comes to gut health and anxiety, food definitely plays a part. What foods, then, make anxiety worse?

Alcohol 

I know this from first hand experience–whenever I have one too many glasses of wine, I end up waking up in the middle of the night with awful anxiety. (In fact, it’s led me to do not one, but two sober months in the last 6 months. If you’d like to hear my story on that, let me know in the comments!)

But alcohol can actually change levels of serotonin and as BAC (blood alcohol content) drop, we’re left with a feeling of depression.

Sugar + Refined Carbs

Probably a no-brainer, but excess sugar (junk food being the obvious, but also foods like crackers and granola bars that offer little nutritional value) can throw you on a blood sugar roller coaster: crazy highs and awful lows.  It can leave you feeling jittery, anxious, or sluggish and drained–and these symptoms seem to worsen if you have anxiety or depression.

Of course this really just perpetuates the cycle of eating comfort food or sweets when you feel low, and it keeps you on this tumultuous rollercoaster.

Processed Vegetable Oils

If you’ve never heard my rant before, I’m telling you now: processed vegetable oils do not do you any favours. In fact, more and more, we’re realizing they actually do quite a bit of harm. Oils like canola, soy, and corn have been linked to cancer, obesity and autoimmune diseases. And they’re highly inflammatory–they knock the omega 3-to-6 ratio out of balance, and can potentially cause anxiety long term.

Gluten

Gluten is an umbrella term for prolamins (plant-based proteins like gliadin and glutenin) found in wheat, rye and barley. And gluten is hard for the body to digest–and not just for people with Celiac. For example,  there is a genetic component to gluten intolerance: people with Celiac’s Disease are 98% like to have one of the two gene variants of the HLA gene. And yet, up to 55% of the general population (meaning those without Celiac) also have this variant and may benefit from a gluten-free diet.

Gluten is able to cross the gut-barrier and cause inflammation in the body–and the brain. Research shows that up to 57% of people with a neurological disorder test positive for anti-gliadin antibodies.  People with Crohn’s were found to have higher anxiety than a control group, and that a gluten-free diet showed significant improvements in anxiety.

I know people that love gluten love gluten. But it’s not a health food, and it really doesn’t have a lot to offer nutritionally. So if you suffer from anxiety, it might be wise to cut it out.

FOODS THAT BOOST GUT HEALTH (+ fight anxiety)

So what does help the gut? Nourishing, whole foods that include lots of fibre, healthy fats + probiotics!  Here’s a list of foods to eat in abundance!

Probiotic-rich foods: Some studies have found that taking a probiotic supplement can help improve symptoms of anxiety + depression, especially bifidobacterium longum. But you can get it from food sources too–kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented pickles, miso, tempeh, kefir, yogurt, coconut yogurt + kombucha all offer healthy probiotics to replenish your gut bacteria!

Omega 3s: did you know the brain is made mostly of fat, with a significant portion of it being omega-3 fatty acid DHA? So it makes sense that eating it would help the brain! Omega 3’s are anti-inflammatory and have been shown to help with boosting mood, improving cognitive function and decreasing symptoms of anxiety! Salmon, mackerel, chia seeds + flax are great additions to your diet!

If you want to boost your omega-3 intake, I’m a huge fan of Nutrasea’s Omega-3 + Vit D supplement! It’s been a staple of mine for years.

High-Fibre Foods: fibre acts as a prebiotic (the food that feeds the probiotics) which has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Opt for avocados, lentils, chia, flax, Brussel’s sprouts and oats!

Collagen: Gelatin, the cooked form of collagen, has been shown to improve gut health by repairing the mucosal lining of the gut + preventing damage. Bone broth is a rich natural source of gelatin. You can read more about how to get collagen here. You can also check out the link to Kettle + Fire below—they offer shelf stable, grass-fed  beef + free-range chicken bone broth, which is amazing!

MY FAVOURITE HEALTH PRODUCTS FOR GUT HEALTH AND ANXIETY

 

I hope this helps explain the link between gut health and anxiety! I think a healthy gut sets the foundation for our health in every aspect–including our minds! Also, awhile back I created a FREE Ultimate Kitchen download that includes a healthy grocery list, pantry list + template to meal plan–and I just recently updated it! So click below to grab your free download.

Also, did you know I’m on instagram? You can follow me @thenourishedmind to stay up to date on the latest healthy recipes I’ve cooked up + see behind the scenes in my stories (spoiler: I watch a lot of Disney movies). Until next time lovely humans!

With love,