Supporting your gut microbiome will provide your brain with the nutrients it needs to function well, enabling you to think faster and clearer.
Studies have shown links between higher levels of good bacteria and improvement in learning new information and problem solving. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine are produced in the gut to help with digestive function while also having an indirect effect on the part of the brain that influences mood, appetite and energy.
“The focus is shifting from the brain to the gut as we learn that it’s not just about how our brain affects our body but how our gut can,” says Dr Emily Leeming, dietitian, microbiome scientist and author of new book Genius Gut. “There’s a growing understanding of how important the gut-brain connection is in health and disease, where disruptions in the gut can manifest as symptoms in the brain and vice versa.” For example, 80% of people with Parkinson’s disease also have constipation, a symptom which can appear as much as 20 years earlier than other warning signs.
The simplest and most effective way to ensure a healthy microbiome is to feed your gut with more of the foods that it loves and less of those that can deplete the good bacteria. A healthy microbiome isn’t about “a specific nutrient or individual meal or weekend reset, but thinking about the bigger picture and a way of eating that you can sustain,” says Emily. It’s about eating more of the good stuff and reducing the less good, ideally without rules or restrictions.
This extract is from our feature ‘Inside Out’ from our October issue, in which Rebecca Frank looks into the ways in which helping our digestion can improve our wellbeing.
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