Gut Microbiome And Mental Health
In terms of the gut microbiome and mental health, the most obvious connection is the fight or flight response which sends us running to the loo in stressful situations, but scientists are now recognising that may be far broader implications for health.
Neuroscientists are establishing a role for the gut microbiota in many mental health disorders from Parkinsons disease to depression, while other studies have investigated the potential of probiotics in the support of social anxiety and other related conditions. Health professionals can read about probiotics for stress and anxiety over at our sister site: Probiotics Professionals.
Altered gut microbiota and digestive issues are often noted in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders , and it is believed the gut-brain connection could have a significant role in the development of the condition and the behaviour of those affected5.
The Place Does The Microbiome Slot In To The Gut
Weve established the bodily connection between the intestine and the mind, however what half do our intestine micro organism play?
Intestine Mind Axis Infographic How Intestine Micro organism Have an effect on Psychological Well being
Research means that microbes within the intestine really launch chemical messengers that affect cell responses alongside the vagus nerve performing identical to our physique cells and ship communications by way of the vagus nerve to the mind.2,7 The intestine micro organism present the chemistry that binds this couple collectively!
Probiotics Reduce Stress Levels And Cortisol
Cortisol is your bodys stress hormone. Some strains of probiotics reduce the levels of cortisol in your body. Having elevated levels of cortisol over a long period of time is connected to conditions like memory loss, difficulty in concentration, depression, anxiety, brain fog, mood swings, and more. Studies show that probiotic strains like Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus helveticus cause cortisol levels to drop.
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If You Eat Loads Of Animal Protein Scale Back
Red meat and eggs contain choline, which can be good for you, but when consumed in excess is converted to trimethylamine N-oxide9. Reduced consumption of these foods may decrease inflammation and allow the vagus nerve to better regulate parasympathetic and sympathetic vitals such as blood pressure and heart rate.
Some studies suggest11 that fasting and dietary restriction can activate the vagus nerve. And given fasting’s host of other benefitsfrom improved cognitive function to weight loss to reduced inflammationit may be worth a try. The best part: Your fasting window doesn’t need to be that long to reap some great benefits.
Research shows12 that singing has a biologically soothing effect, which has everything to do with the vagus nerve. So go ahead, sing along to the radio when you’re in the caror better yet, when you’re taking a cold shower!
These are just a few things you can do to improve brain function, gut function, and everything in between. Sometimes complex pathways can respond to simple interventions.
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What Is The Central Nervous System
The CNS, which consists of the brain and spinal cord, controls the bulk of bodily and mental functions. Essentially, it is the CNS that controls emotions, thoughts, movements, body temperature, heart rate, and even the release of certain hormones. The primary organ of the CNS is undoubtedly the brain, but the brain has several regions, each seemingly responsible for different or unique functions.
One part of the brain, the medulla oblongata, is where the vagus nerve stems from. This area of the brain is known to be involved in a lot of involuntary functions, such as maintaining blood pressure, breathing, and even sneezing.
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Slow Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing
As we breathe, inhaling stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, our stress response, while exhaling increases parasympathetic nervous system activation, our relaxation response .
To activate the vagus nerve and increase the amount of oxygen taken in and transported around the body, breathing should be :-
- Slow, ideally you should take 6 breaths per minute,
- Done using the diaphragmatic ,
- In and out through the nose,
- With the exhale lasting twice as long as the inhale.
Breathing exercises are one of the best vagus nerve exercises for digestion. Performing slow, deep breathing for 1 minute before eating activates the parasympathetic nervous system, to increase digestive enzyme production, winch optimises digestion and the amount of nutrients we absorb from the foods we consume .
Evidence From Human Studies
Besides animal data, studies on human subjects have also been reported. In most of the available studies, two major strains i.e. Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus preparations have been used and findings point toward a positive effect in improving the CNS related functions both as a preventive therapy as well as a therapeutic option.
Benton et al. discussed the findings of a randomized trial in which 132 healthy members of the general population received a probiotic containing milk drink daily for a 3-week period. Mood and cognition were measured at baseline and after 10 and 20 days of consumption. The results indicated that the group that initially reported a poor mood showed improvement in their mood after consuming the probiotic-containing milk drink.
In another pilot study , 39 patients suffering from Chronic Ftigue Syndrome were randomized and received Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota or a placebo daily for two months. Results showed a significant rise in both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria and a simultaneous significant decrease in anxiety symptoms among those taking the probiotic vs controls . These results further support the role of a gut-brain interface, which is capable of significantly interacting with the brain bio-chemicals and thus can modulate the disease outcomes.
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Natural Ways To Activate The Vagus Nerve
Take a cold shower the body reacts to the cold by stimulating the flight or fright/sympathetic nervous system
Sing or Chant singing on top of your voice, humming, chanting, controlled breathing techniques, energizes and activates the sympathetic nervous system and the vagus nerve.
Yoga, tai chi, jiggling, Pilates, laughter clubs, prayer, massage, meditation has the capacity to increase vagus nerve activity and support the parasympathetic nervous system.
Social interaction with friends and family have shown to improve vagal function and heart rate variability.
Intermittent fasting or reducing calories not only increases heart rate variability, but also assists in regulating metabolism which is mediated by the vagus nerve.Adequate and fulfilled sleep, a reparative and restorative necessity is required for optimal vagal function.
Yoga exercises involving gargling, extending the tongue together with controlled breathing exercises will assist in contracting muscles which activates the vagus nerve is and stimulates the gastrointestinal tract.
Pulsed magnetic stimulator have been shown to increase heart rate variability.
How Does The Gut
The obvious gut-brain connection is the fight or flight response which sends us working to the john in annoying conditions, however scientists are actually recognising which may be far broader implications for well being.
Neuroscientists are establishing a job for the intestine microbiota in lots of psychological issues from Parkinsons illness to melancholy, whereas different research have investigated the potential of probiotics within the assist of social nervousness and different associated situations.
Altered intestine microbiota and digestive points are sometimes famous in kids with Autism Spectrum Problems , and its believed the gut-brain connection may have a big position within the growth of the situation and the behaviour of these affected 3.
Whats Despair?
Despair is by far probably the most widespread psychological issues in trendy society, and hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide undergo from a broad vary of syndromes falling underneath the time period depressive disorders.
This time period encompasses a wide range of situations from social nervousness to seasonal affective dysfunction, and is linked to different psychological well being issues comparable to OCD and PTSD .
Psychobiotics the anti-depressants of the long run?
Psychobiotics can our microbiome affect our temper?
Particular research have checked out the potential for making use of probiotic micro organism to assist alleviate signs of melancholy
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Probiotics Prevent The Creation Of Lipopolysaccharides
Lipopolysaccharides are toxic byproducts created by high levels of bad bacteria. Probiotics help keep the growth of bad bacteria in check, and thereby, prevent the creation of lipopolysaccharides. This byproduct affects the brain detrimentally by reducing levels of dopamine and serotonin, damaging the memory-center or hippocampus, increasing cortisol and free radical damage, and causing short-term loss of memory.
Acupuncture To Regulate The Vagus Nerve
One of the reasons why acupuncture is good for your general health and well-being is that it stimulates the vagal nerve. Studies have shown that acupuncture regulates vagal activity and helps to improve your gastrointestinal health, respiratory system, and heart health. The effect of acupuncture in improving vagal tone can also protect against neurodegenerative diseases.
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Vagus Baby An Important Nerve For Good Digestion
Do you get a sinking feeling in your gut when you think of the holidays and the stress that it may bring? The well-being of your gut impacts digestion, your immune system and even your mental health. There are approximately 100 billion neurons in the human brain and 500 million in your gut. They are connected through nerves in your nervous system which tell your body how to behave. This gut-brain axis involves two-way communication between the central and enteric nervous systems that are both physically and biochemically connected.
The gut-brain axis links the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with intestinal functions. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. This is especially true in cases where a person experiences gastrointestinal upset with no apparent physical cause. Sometimes its challenging to try to heal a distressed gut without taking into account the role of stress and emotion.
In 2010, researchers discovered a positive feedback loop between high vagal tone, positive emotions, and good physical health. In other words, the more you increase your vagal tone, the more your physical and mental health will improve, and vice versa.
Here are some things you can do:
Yoga
Practicing mild exercise such as yoga stimulates the vagus nerve and in doing so, stimulates the smooth muscle that lines the gut.
Singing
Vagus Nerve As Modulator Of Intestinal Immune Homeostasis
The gastrointestinal tract is constantly confronted with food antigens, possible pathogens, and symbiotic intestinal microbiota that present a risk factor for intestinal inflammation . It is highly innervated by vagal fibers that connect the CNS with the intestinal immune system, making vagus a major component, the neuroendocrine-immune axis. This axis is involved in coordinated neural, behavioral, and endocrine responses, important for the first-line defense against inflammation . For example, in response to pathogens and other injurious stimuli, tumor-necrosis factor-alpha , a cytokine, is produced by activated macrophages, dendritic cells, and other cells in the mucosa . Together with prostaglandins and interferons, TNF- is an important mediator of local and systemic inflammation and increases cause the cardinal clinical signs of inflammation, including heat, swelling, pain, and redness . Counter-regulatory mechanisms, such as immunologically competent cells and anti-inflammatory cytokines normally limit the acute inflammatory response and prevent the spread of inflammatory mediators into the bloodstream. Further, there is a hard-wired connection between the nervous and immune system functions as an anti-inflammatory mechanism. The dorsal vagal complex, comprising the sensory nuclei of the solitary tract, the area postrema, and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, responds to increased circulating amounts of TNF- by altering motor activity in the vagus nerve .
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How To Test Vagus Nerve Function
There are 2 ways to measure vagus nerve activity.
vagal tone test 1 measure heart rate variability
Heart rate variability HRV is a measure of vagus nerve activity and can be used to measure the effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation exercises the higher it is the better. A vagal tone measuring device you can use to complete this is a smartwatch .
vagus nerve examination 2 sesame seed transit time
Devices needed to measure heart rate variability can be expensive. So a cheap alternative method of testing vagus nerve function Dr Navaz Habib recommends is the sesame seed transit time. To perform, consume whole sesame seeds in glass of water without chewing and measure how long they take to appear in your stool. It should take 12-20 hours. Anything less or more than this indicates poor vagal tone .
Positive Influence Of Nutritive Components On Ibd
Mechanistically, the role that inflammation plays in the onset and perpetuation of psychiatric symptoms has garnered increased attention . The increase of dysfunctional immunological responses in modern urban societies are posited to be at least in part associated with reduced exposure to commensal and environmental microorganisms that normally prime immunoregulatory circuits and suppress inappropriate inflammation . The intestinal bacterial flora is thought to be an important factor in the development and recurrence of IBD and various attempts have been made to modify the flora with probiotics. In animals with experimental colitis orally or rectally administered lactobacilli have yielded improvements. For example, Lactobacillus plantarum 299V prevented the onset of disease and reduced established colitis . Further, a multispecies probiotic given to mice with established colitis normalized gut barrier function, reduced proinflammatory cytokines, and lessened histological disease . In humans, Lactobacillus casei GG improved symptoms in children with moderately active CD . In addition, a combination of probiotics with Saccharomyces boulardii, Lactobacillus, and VSL#3 showed slight improvements of CD symptoms . These data are preliminary and need confirmation by future studies. So far, no probiotic treatments have been officially recommended for the treatment of CD .
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Foot Reflexology To Regulate Vagus Nerve Function
Massaging your feet benefits your general well-being because it is another way to stimulate your vagus nerve.
One small study found that foot reflexology increases vagal tone and has many benefits for your cardiovascular system. Massaging specific areas of the foot helped to lower blood pressure naturally and benefit people with coronary heart disease.
If you are interested in reflexology, please read my article on how to do reflexology at home to cure many ailments.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation: How To Stimulate The Vagus Nerve Naturally
What is vagus nerve stimulation and how can improving vagal tone help regulate many body functions?
Scientists say that stimulation of the vagal nerve can refer to any process to increase vagal activity. There are various methods of stimulating the vagus nerve to help boost your health. For example, breathing exercises, aerobic exercising, massage, and yoga have all shown to help improve vagal tone.
Some of the benefits of stimulating your vagus nerve include lowering blood pressure, improving cardiovascular health, enjoying better sleep, reducing anxiety, and boosting brain health.
Lets look in more detail at scientific evidence on the various ways you can stimulate the vagus nerve.
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Jarrow Formulas Ideal Bowel Support
Those that dont want to populate their gut with a myriad of bacteria may want to consider Jarrow Formulas Ideal Bowel Support product. The product consists solely of an L. Plantarum strain with 10 billion CFUs per capsule. Many users have testified that this product has improved their gastrointestinal function.
Whether L. Plantarum is thought to decrease inflammatory biomarkers, preserve cognition, and enhance BNDF production in animals. Whether something similar occurs among humans that supplement with it isnt fully understood. Although this product is a single strain, it has relatively low CFUs per capsule compared to others at 10 billion.
Probiotics For Neurological Issues And The Neuroendometabolic Stress Response
The probiotics for neurological issues provide benefits to the symptoms of mental health conditions. They act by modulating the NeuroEndoMetabolic Stress Response. The NEM system is your bodys method of dealing with stress. There are six interdependent circuits of organs and systems within the NEM stress response. The Neuroaffect Circuit is the main circuit that is suppressed by the action of the probiotics for neurological issues. This circuit consists of the brain, autonomic nervous system, and the microbiome in the gut or the gut-brain axis. The autonomic nervous system consists of multiple branches of the sympathetic nervous system , the adrenomedullary hormonal system , and the parasympathetic nervous system .
When stress is acute, your body responds by rapidly increasing the cortisol, the anti-stress hormone released from the adrenal glands. However, the adrenal glands get fatigued due to prolonged, chronic stress and lower cortisol production. This results in Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome . The symptoms include infections, fatigue, and neurological conditions such as anxiety, depression, problems with sleeping, lack of concentration, memory loss, mild depression. Fatigue, brain fog, and difficulty sleeping can make your life miserable. Nevertheless, the probiotics for neurological issues provide relief to all the neurological issues which occur due to fatigue.
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A Wedding Fabricated From Intestine Well Being And Psychological Well Being Probiotics For Vagus Nerve
The Intestine-Mind Axis is at the moment a scorching matter, and it is solely getting larger. This concept of a gut-brain connection is nothing new: Go with your gut feeling is a really previous saying. However over the previous ten years a whole bunch of scientific research have explored the potential of this fascinating topic.
The US Nationwide Institute of Psychological Well being invested over US$1 million right into a analysis programme that attempted to unlock the key organic pathways between the microbiome and the mind. The research outcomes had been offered in November 2015 on the assembly of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington DC known as underneath the title: Gut Microbes and the Brain: Paradigm Shift in Neuroscience1.
This wave of curiosity has additionally yielded a number of books on the gut-brain connection, comparable to Dr. Robert Perlmutters ebook Brain Maker, and Giula Enders ebook, Gut, which included a chapter on The Brain and the Gut.
Intestine Mind Axis defined in a TED discuss by intestine scientist of the hour Giulia Enders
