How The Gut Can Affect Your Mood

The gut microbiome hosts up to 1000 bacterial species which encode for 5 million genes forming functions for host physiology and survival. This is used in order to ensure sufficient nutrients and to aid the production of vitamins such as B and K which play a major role in the immune system. This bacteria also digests the foods that are unable to be digested by the stomach and small intestine.

Between the gut microbiome and the brain there is bidirectional communication occurring across numerous physiological channels. The vagus nerve(longest cranial nerve) exits the brain from the medulla oblongata of the brainstream to then travel laterally exiting the skull through the jugular foramen. This nerve contains different types of fibres: branchial motor - supplies muscles of the pharynx and larynx, visceral motor - responsible for transmitting information, visceral motor - carries parasympathetic fibres from smooth muscle of the upper respiratory tract, heart and gastrointestinal tract.

 The gut bacteria produces an array of neurochemicals which the brain uses for the regulation of physiological and mental processes which is evidence of a clear link between our mircrobiome and health. Much of our supply of neurochemicals, for example approximately 90% serotonin and 50% dopamine, originate from the gut. These neurochemicals are used to regulate appetite, feelings of fullness and digestion. However, recent studies suggest that these chemicals are created in the microbiome which in turn play a role in intestinal disorders which coincide with depression and anxiety. When the microbes break down part the food, molecules bind to receptors on the intestinal cells which then release hormones.

 While it used to be believed that stress caused the immune system to weaken and affect the bacteria in our microbiome it has now been found that it is certain bacteria which causes stress which then impairs the immune system. a study  done using mice raised microbe free mice were observed to have less anxiety and were more daring overall. More research is being done in order to identify the precise processes but it is clear that the health of you microbiome has a clear effect on your mental and emotional wellbeing.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290747.php

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