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Vinny's Views on Wellness
COULD YOUR GUT BE SABOTAGING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?
The Hidden Link Between Gut Bacteria and Mental Health Resilience
If there’s one area of health worth prioritizing, it’s your gut health. In recent years, the phrase “gut feeling” has taken on a whole new meaning—not just as intuition, but as a clue to your mental health. Emerging science is discovering that your gut and brain are more closely connected than previously imagined, and when your gut health is out of balance, your mood, focus, and overall mental flexibility may suffer. In fact, the gut is considered the second brain and you’ll find out exactly why below.
This month, we're diving into a fascinating and emerging area of functional medicine: the connection between gut health and mental health, especially how it relates to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) You don’t have to be a war veteran to have PTSD, so tune in to your body to know what to look out for.
Welcome to the world of the gut-brain axis—a complex, bidirectional communication system that could be quietly impairing your mental health.
The Gut-Brain Axis: More Than Just a Metaphor
Did you know your gut and brain started their relationship when you were just an embryo? During embryonic development, the gut and brain are intricately connected through the migration of neural crest cells, particularly those contributing to the vagus nerve, establishing the foundation of the gut-brain axis. The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve impacting our Autonomic Nervous System. Out of balance and you will remain in sympathetic, the “fight or flight” response. Thankfully, there are natural ways to stimulate this very important nerve to get us back on track and into the parasympathetic “rest and repair”!
The gut also regulates hormones, and immune system signals. This communication highway is known as the gut-brain axis. At the center of this system lies your microbiome: trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in your digestive tract.
These microbes don't just digest food; they produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA —chemicals that play a huge role in mood regulation and emotional health. In fact, about 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut, not the brain.
The gut-brain axis is the two-way communication system between your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and your enteric nervous system (the “second brain” in your gut). This system uses chemical messengers, such as hormones and neurotransmitters, to relay information, and when your gut is off balance, there is an increased likelihood that your mental state or immune system aren’t functioning optimally.
Put simply, the gut microbiome can influence mood, cognition, immune and stress response and here’s how.
Vinny's Views on Wellness
COULD YOUR GUT BE SABOTAGING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?
1. Neurotransmitter Production
• The gut produces 90% of the body's serotonin, a key neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation, impulse control, and reward processing.
• Imbalances in gut microbiota can lead to lower serotonin, dopamine, and GABA levels—neurochemicals deeply tied to addiction, cravings, and mood disorders.
2. Inflammation and the Brain
• Gut dysbiosis (microbial imbalance) leads to systemic inflammation, including neuroinflammation, which can cause a host of mood & cognitive issues.
• Chronic inflammation may alter the brain's reward pathways, increasing vulnerability to substance use, food addiction, and compulsive behaviors.
3. Cravings and Reward Systems
• Certain gut bacteria can influence food preferences or even "hijack" your cravings—particularly for sugar and processed foods, which feed those microbes.
• These cravings can mimic addictive behavior because they release dopamine and make it harder to resist unhealthy substances, which contributes to the vicious cycle (see below).
When the Gut Turns Against You
4. Stress and Emotional Dysregulation
• A disrupted gut can lead to HPA axis dysregulation (the body’s main stress response system), making people more reactive to stress—a common trigger for substance use and mental health conditions, like PTSD, are exacerbated when this system is dysfunctional.
• Poor gut health is often linked to anxiety and depression, which are major risk factors for addiction and mental health issues.
5. What We Consume Impacts the Gut Microbiome
• Addictive substances like alcohol, opioids, sugar, and stimulants damage gut lining and microbiota, leading to leaky gut, which makes the brain susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Multiple Sclerosis.
• This creates a vicious cycle: substance use and toxins harms gut healthgut health worsens emotional regulation - increased risk of continued use, poor health choices or relapse - increased risk of anxiety and depression.
6. Impaired Decision-Making
• Gut dysfunction can contribute to brain fog, poor impulse control, and impaired judgment, making it harder to make healthy choices or stick to healthy habits.
If your gut microbiome becomes imbalanced—a state called dysbiosis—it can lead to chronic inflammation and altered neurotransmitter production. This can trigger or worsen mental health issues such as:
• Depression and anxiety: Studies show people with depression often have different gut bacteria compared to those without.
• Brain fog: Inflammation from the gut can impair cognitive function and focus.
• Stress sensitivity: A disrupted microbiome may make you more reactive to stress, amplifying its emotional toll.
• PTSD : PTSD affects the brain’s ability to regulate emotions and stress, but recent research shows it may also involve imbalances in the gut microbiome. Here's how they connect:
◦ Chronic stress and trauma can change the composition of gut bacteria. Altered gut flora can increase inflammation and reduce production of mood-regulating chemicals, like serotonin and dopamine.
◦ People with PTSD often have symptoms that overlap with gut issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), appetite changes, or nausea.
Common culprits for dysbiosis include poor diet (especially high in processed foods), antibiotics, chronic stress, and lack of sleep.
Vinny's Views on Wellness
COULD YOUR GUT BE SABOTAGING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?
Signs Your Gut Might Be Affecting Your Mood
• Food intolerances that emerged suddenly
• Bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
• Mood swings
• Brain fog, low energy, and lack of motivation
• Unexplained anxiety or depression that doesn’t respond well to traditional treatment
How to Support Your Gut – and Your Mind
1. Feed your microbiome: A diet rich in fiber, fermented foods (like grass fed yogurt, kimchi, and kefir), and polyphenols (found in berries, nuts, and olive oil) helps nourish good bacteria.
2. Cut the sugar and ultra-processed foods: These can feed harmful bacteria and increase inflammation, creating leaky gut and dysbiosis.
3. Consider prebiotics and probiotics: While not a one-size-fits-all solution, certain strains (like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium) have shown promise in supporting mood & gut health. Pre-biotics will feed your good bacteria, and Pro-biotics will give you more of the good bacteria you need. If you need help eliminating bad bacteria, Oil of Oregano and Thyme, or the combination of both supplements are excellent choices.
4. Manage stress: Chronic stress changes your gut flora. Mindfulness, deep breathing, daily exercise/movement, and proper sleep all play a role in protecting both brain and belly.
5. Intermittent Fasting: Stopping eating and drinking caloric beverages, especially caffeine, three hours before bedtime gives your gut a break so that it can do it’s job, which is to rest and repair.
6. Seek integrated care: If you're dealing with persistent mental health challenges, it may be worth speaking to a practitioner who considers gut health as part of the treatment picture. There are great local providers, such as F8 Wellness, Dr. Mallory, and Natural Health Center of the Rockies who specialize in gut health and Functional Medicine.
Takeaways
Your mental health isn’t just in your head—it’s also in your gut. And, your gut does much more than just digest food. By paying attention to giving your gut what it needs and reducing what destroys the gut, you may discover new avenues for cognitive improvements, emotional healing and resilience. The next time you're feeling off, it might not just be a mood swing—it could be your gut asking for help. This is a good time to seek care from a Functional Medicine specialist to get you back on track. As a bonus, when your gut health is in balance, you could lose weight in the process!
Call to action
• Eliminate the foods that disrupt gut health, starting with one item per week until you are through this list
• Add a pre and probiotic daily on an empty stomach.
• Add gut friendly foods from this list.