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Within our gut, we have over a hundred trillion microbial cells living in us, rent-free! Actually, when you compare the number of cells in our body, we’re more microbe than we are human! These microbes live in a highly populated community in our gut known as our “gut microbiota”.
In the past 15 years, science has proven that our gut microbiota affects almost all aspects of our overall health. Many gastroenterologists (gut doctors) argue that the gut microbiota does more metabolic work than our liver and claim it should be considered a vital organ. The gut is not only central to digestion, but it is also crucial for the functioning of the immune system, the endocrine system and the nervous system, talk about an important player! In fact, the gut is connected directly to the brain, through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
This axis has been shown to affect communication to the brain and behaviour associated with many mental health conditions. Over 95% of the body’s serotonin, your happy hormone, is stored in our gut, which is also the same molecule that is targeted when you take an antidepressant. Therefore, a good deal of research has shifted towards targeting your gut health as a new method of treating mental illnesses. While scientists are still at the beginning stages of understanding the mechanisms for this, they do know that there is amajor link between what we eat, what the microbes do with our food, and how it can affect the functioning of our brain!
So, there’s never been a better time to ease into eating more good gut food. Eating a variety of fibrous foods is one step in the right direction. Dietary fibers are essential to maintaining good gut bacteria and digestive health. Try one of our Holy Crap Cereals, which are full of soluble and prebiotic fibers to keep your gut happy and keep you happy too!
References
Cryan, J. F., O'Riordan, K. J., Cowan, C., Sandhu, K. V., Bastiaanssen, T., Boehme, M., Codagnone, M. G., Cussotto, S., Fulling, C., Golubeva, A. V., Guzzetta, K. E., Jaggar, M., Long-Smith, C. M., Lyte, J. M., Martin, J. A., Molinero-Perez, A., Moloney, G., Morelli, E., Morillas, E., O'Connor, R., … Dinan, T. G. (2019). The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis. Physiological reviews, 99(4), 1877–2013. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00018.2018
Liang, S., Wu, X., & Jin, F. (2018). Gut-brain psychology: Rethinking psychology from the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 12, 33. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2018.00033
Sandhu, K., Sherwin, E., Schellekens, H., Stanton, C., Dinan, T., & Cryan, J. (2017). Feeding the microbiota-gut-brain axis: diet, microbiome, and neuropsychiatry. Translational Research, 179, 223–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trsl.2016.10.002