N EW N EWS
You Are What You Eat? Wri t t en by Dr. Ru pa l i C ha dha
Editor’s Note: New research reveals even tighter bonds between gut health and overall health - body AND mind.
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ver heard the expression, you are what you eat? More and more we are finding that what we consume affects our brains, not just our bodies. Many physicians have started educating their patients on the dangers of the Standard American Diet (SAD) and heavily processed foods. In this endless merry-go-round of what is considered healthy, fat has been demonized and lately carbs and sugar. But is the picture much more complex? Could it be that
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it’s not completely what we eat, but what the billions of bacteria in our gut “let” us eat? Gut microbiomes have become a hot topic lately. From actual scientific research to health adjacent businesses marketing probiotics, from everything to anxiety to erectile dysfunction. But the actual science is exciting and something to explore in healing our brains! For a long time many of us psychiatric physicians have seen a mind-
brain-gut connection. When we get excited or nervous we have “butterflies in our stomach.” Many gag when disgusted or have a bathroom run when anxious. The most common side effects when starting SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, a class of antidepressants) are gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea). It is true that the gastrointestinal tract has more neurons and serotonin receptors than our actual brain. This is why the
