It’s becoming more common nowadays for people to be intolerant or allergic to certain foods, and while some may disregard this concept as a fad, a cry for attention or perhaps an attempt at being trendy – food intolerances really do exist. Improperly managed they can cause a wide variety of symptoms that can be extremely uncomfortable and can significantly affect your quality of life.

It is estimated that one-fifth of the population believe that they have a food intolerance. (1) Many people with food intolerances know that there is a food that is disagreeing with them, but they can’t quite put their finger on what it is. Sometimes there’s a reaction and sometimes there isn’t, it all seems so vague and confusing that it’s easier just to throw your hands up, give in and eat whatever (or practically nothing, as some people chose to do).

If you suspect that you’ve got a food enemy, this article will hopefully show you some of the avenues that you can investigate to find what it is that you’re reacting to, and what you can do about it.

Food allergies are a reaction by the immune system to a specific part of a food, usually one of the protein components.  Symptoms of food allergies can include hives, swelling around the mouth, rashes and/or vomiting.  The worst case scenario is an anaphylactic reaction, which can be life threatening.  Food allergies do not disappear and are usually present from birth. Most commonly these reactions are to foods such as peanuts, cow’s milk, egg, tree nuts, soy, fish and shellfish, however it’s possible to be allergic to anything (1).

At this point of time there isn’t much we can do about it except for avoid the foods and be ready to administer first aid should exposure occur.

There is however, some hope for future treatment for allergy sufferers. A recent trial by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute found that use of a certain strain of probiotics was able to reduce peanut allergy in 23 out of the 28 children studied. This is only a small study so far, so it’s unlikely that this will be a widely accepted treatment for a while to come, and it’s not recommended to try this at home due to the life-threatening nature of these allergies, however it does highlight the importance of keeping your gut healthy and also provides some hope. (2)

Recognising the difference between an allergy and an intolerance is important, as the incorrect use of these terms is often what leads to the general confusion about the whole area.

Food intolerances are reactions to foods that are not classed as an allergy. In some instances it can be due to a lack of enzyme such as in lactose intolerance, and in others it can be due to a reaction from the IgG or IgA immune cells. Unlike fructose malabsorption and coeliac disease, this is not a widely accepted phenomena and research into this area is still in its infancy.

Food intolerances are usually developed as a result of gut flora imbalances and/or damage to the lining of the digestive system (often referred to as intestinal permeability, or leaky gut) however they can occur when a food is regularly consumed in large quantities (3) (4).

Food intolerances are not life threatening like an allergy, and the symptoms that can occur from eating something you are intolerant to are usually digestive (bloating, heartburn, diarrhoea, constipation, cramping and gas) however if you’re eating food intolerances too frequently then it can create symptoms elsewhere in the body that are less likely to be related to food (1). These include brain fog, headaches, mood swings or weight gain.  Food intolerance symptoms are often delayed in their onset (they can come on 48 hours after eating) which means they are much harder to identify as the culprit for your symptoms.

Fructose malabsorption can be a common issue for many people with digestive complaints, especially bloating, pain and diarrhoea.  It is estimated that up to 70% of people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) have fructose malabsorption (5).  The diet to manage this is known as the FODMAP diet.

The FODMAP diet was originally developed by Dr Sue Shepherd, an Australian dietician. She has proven, through her pioneering PhD research, that limiting dietary FODMAPs is an effective treatment for people with symptoms of IBS. Several research papers have confirmed her work and so this diet has become better known in the last few years, even being accepted overseas.

Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in certain fruits and vegetables, and in some people this sugar cannot be effectively processed in the small intestine.  As a result it is left to ferment, which can cause bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation, flatulence, stomach pain, and even mood imbalances (6).

As wheat contains FODMAPs, some people attribute non-coeliac reactions to gluten to fructose malabsorption.

It is important to remember that high FODMAPs foods are not always the only culprit for IBS symptoms.  Consider being aware of your reaction to fatty foods, caffeine, alcohol, fibre (excess or lack of), medications and stress, which may also influence your symptoms. Hormonal problems and bacterial imbalances can also be responsible.

Contributing factors towards the development of fructose malabsorption include:

• Diabetes (especially type 2)
• Diets that are high GI (glycaemic index)
• Stress
• Certain medications including Corticosteroids and Metformin
• Digestive damage from excessive alcohol, smoking and other factors

As you can see from the above list, fructose malabsorption is likely to occur from poor blood sugar regulation and digestive damage – commonly seen in inflammatory bowel disorders such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (6).

Diagnosis

Fructose malabsorption can be diagnosed using a hydrogen breath test, which recognises unabsorbed fructose.

The FODMAP elimination and challenge diet is also a way of determining whether you react to FODMAPS, and narrowing down what types and how much. The FODMAP diet is very strict, so it’s not a long term solution but rather a means to identify which foods in this group you are reactive to.

The FODMAP diet

FODMAPs are found in the following foods:

• Fermentable Oligosaccharides (e.g. Fructans and Galactans)
• Disaccharides (e.g. Lactose)
• Monosaccharides (e.g. excess Fructose)
• And
• Polyols (e.g. Sorbitol, Mannitol, Maltitol, Xylitol and Isomalt)

The list of foods that are to be avoided in a full FODMAP diet is rather large, but it includes a lot of fruits, honey and some other sweeteners, wheat products, most dairy sources, soy milk, legumes, and certain vegetables including garlic, onion, mushrooms and asparagus (8).

Chemical sensitivies.

There are a number of substances that are naturally contained in foods which can cause reactions in some people, including rashes, headaches, fatigue, digestive symptoms, hyperactivity and irritability. The main food chemicals which can cause symptoms are salicylates, amines and MSG.

Salicylates can be found in a wide range of fruit (especially in unripened fruit) and vegetables (more concentrated in the outer leaves), as well as nuts, herbs and spices, jams, honey, yeast extracts, tea, coffee, bear and wines. Aspirin also contains salicylates.

Amines are high in foods such as deli meats (salami, bacon, ham, frankfurts), tinned fish and tinned meats, tomato paste and pasta sauces. They are also present in cheese, chocolate, wines, beer and yeast extracts.

MSG (monosodium glutamate) is well known for the reactions it can cause, particular when used as a flavour enhancer in some Asian cooking, soups, sauces and packaged snack foods. It is also found in high amounts naturally in some foods such as tomatoes, blue and parmesan cheese, mushrooms, broccoli and some meat and yeast extracts.

Sulphites can cause a worsening of asthma symptoms, headaches and fatigue. The food additives to watch out for in this category are the numbers E220 – E224, E226 and E227. They are found in a lot of dried fruits, packaged salads and fruit salads, some dried foods such as garlic, ginger, potatoes, soft drinks and fruit drinks, pickles, sauerkraut and corn syrup. People who are very sensitive to sulphites may benefit from increasing their intake of the mineral molybdenum.

Histamine intolerance often mimics the symptoms of a food allergy, however it is an inflammatory reaction caused by an impaired ability to breakdown the chemical histamine, which is naturally present in many foods. Symptoms of histamine excess include hives and itching, racing pulse, anxiety, swelling of the face and throat, runny nose, conjunctivitis, headaches, digestive upset, fatigue, confusion and irritability. This problem is often developed after some form of disruption to the digestive system, usually an infection or course of antibiotics, but can also be triggered by stress and other digestive problems. Some medications such as painkillers, asthma medications and sleeping medications can also interfere with the enzymes that process histamine. Methylation problems can also affect histamine levels, and people who are in this category are more likely to experience mood disorders such as depression and OCD. Some of the main food triggers include red wine, fish (unless very fresh), smoked, processed or fermented meats, left-over foods, most cheeses, citrus fruits, pineapple, raspberries, prunes, tomatoes and tomato products, spinach, red beans, eggplant, olives, pumpkin, pickles and relishes, chocolate, soy sauce, most alcohol drinks and tea. (9) (10)

Coeliac disease

is one of the most well known forms of food intolerances, first discovered in the 1950s it was originally thought to only be a childhood disorder. The prevalence of this condition is increasing, however it is thought that there are many people with this condition who are still undiagnosed.

It is not an allergy or sensitivity, but rather an autoimmune reaction to gluten, which is often genetically inherited.  In people with coeliac disease the immune system causes severe damage to the cells of the small intestine, which causes digestive symptoms and significantly impacts on the absorption of nutrients, resulting in nutritional deficiencies. At a microscopic level, your digestive lining should be coated in hair like protrusions called vili – essentially it looks like a shag pile rug – and this creates lots of surface area to absorb nutrients. When damage has occurred in people with coeliac disease, these vili become flattened and fried, resulting in malabsorption problems.

Diarrhoea, cramping, bloating and constipation can be caused by celiac disease. However not everyone with coeliac disease experiences digestive problems, and so it can go undiagnosed for a long period of time, wreaking havoc in secret. Fertility issues, anaemia, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, autoimmune problems and mood disorders can all be related to undiagnosed coeliac disease (11) (12) (13).

Having the gene for coeliac disease does not automatically mean that you have the condition, but you cannot have coeliac disease without having the gene for it.

If you suspect that you have coeliac disease but have been avoiding gluten, then you can get yourself tested for the coeliac genes first.  If you do have the genes, you will need to eat gluten containing foods for 6-8 weeks before doing the antibody tests (as these would not be accurate without having eating gluten previously).  This will confirm whether you have coeliac disease or not. In some cases your doctor may refer you to get a biopsy performed, which is considered to be the most conclusive diagnosis.

Many people who are avoiding gluten have not been adequately screened for coeliac disease before commencing a gluten free diet and so coeliac disease often goes undetected (14).

In people with gluten intolerance/sensitivity or fructose malabsorption they can often handful small amounts of gluten with experiencing problems, however with coeliac disease you might get away without experiencing symptoms, but the damage to the vili will always happen. This means that having the diagnosis of coeliac disease gives you the knowledge of whether you need to be 100% strict with gluten avoidance or not.

Some ways to make life easier for yourself:

It can be very overwhelming and stressful to get a diagnosis of a food intolerance or allergy, particularly if it is a common food such as wheat or dairy. Thankfully due to the magic of the internet there is more help than ever for people trying to manage their diet around food intolerances.

Join a support group. There are plenty of Facebook groups and online forums dedicated to specific food intolerances, and often the people in these groups have done plenty of research so will be able to share resources and recipes with you.

Research food substitutions. Instead of giving your favourite recipes the flick, try substituting ingredients you can’t have for foods which will create a similar effect. For example, eggs, which are commonly used to bind dishes can be replaced with a little corn meal or extra kneading; cheese can be replaced with ‘vegan cheese’ which is often made with cashews and nutritional yeast; cow’s milk can be replaced with oat, nut or seed milks and wheat flour can be replaced with several gluten free flour options. Keep your pantry stocked with these and that way you won’t be disappointed if you get a whim for cooking a particular dish.

Plan your meals in advance. Meal planning and prepping can make life easier for everyone, but especially so for those dealing with food intolerances. Create a list of meals that you can have and rotate through these. Try a new recipe each week and eventually you will have a big repertoire of recipes that you are familiar with.

Call ahead. If you’re going out to eat, call ahead and advise of any food intolerances so that the kitchen can have options prepared.  It can be a good idea to ask if they’re okay for you to bring your own gluten free bread or milk alternative.

Educate your friends and family. Share this article and other information with friends and family who might be struggling to understand, and discuss with them what foods you can and can’t handle and how much you can tolerate, if any. Most people will be happy to accommodate your requirements as long as they understand.

You may be interested in:

Ultra low histamine 4-week meal plan and recipe eBook

Low Salicylate Meal Plan (one week)

Bread or Dead by Allison Jones

Coeliac Disease; How to take control of your health and healing your gut with herbs.

Works Cited

The post The Many Faces of Food Intolerance appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Health & Wellbeing Podcast #38

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease that causes strong reactions to wheat. It can affect your hormonal health, mental health, nutritional status and more.
In this episode I chat with herbalist Sarah Corbett about her personal journey with coeliac disease, and the herbal allies she used to help herself heal.
We chat a lot about coeliac disease in general and a little about women’s health and the risks of gluten contamination that people with coeliac / celiac disease need to be aware of in their herbs and supplements.

The Podcast

Click here to listen on Soundcloud or via the embedded player below.

iPhone   Stitcher   Youtube   Soundcloud  Spotify 

Podcast breakdown

3:13 Sarah’s experiences growing herbs in her garden
4:17 What’s the difference between gluten intolerance, wheat allergy and coeliac disease.
Sarah’s journey of being diagnosed with coeliac disease, and the healing process
09:46 the difficulties of a coeliac diet
10:45 how rare is coeliac disease, the prevalence of women having coeliac disease and autoimmune conditions
14:30 the symptoms Sarah was experiencing to prompt her seeking a diagnosis
15:50 Getting diagnosed with coeliac disease
20:56 Has the incidence of coeliac disease been increasing
22:00 Viral infections as a potential trigger for autoimmune disease/coeliac disease
24:00 Hormonal imbalances and coeliac disease – is there a link?
27:00 Mental health and coeliac disease, how it can impact brain chemistry, and impact the gut-brain axis. How living with a chronic disease such as coeliac disease can impact your mental health.
29:50 what are some of the biggest understanding around coeliac disease
31:00 how can we heal with coeliac disease. The increased nutritional needs.
33:00 Would you have done anything different to treat yourself now that you know what you do with herbs? What herbs did you use to heal yourself when you were diagnosed with coeliac disease?
Healing herbs: Plaintain (Plantago lanceolata), vulverary herbs including Calendula (Calendula officinalis), lymphatic herbs, immune-modulators, astringents, bitters, carminatives, Cleavers, Peppermint, Marshmallow, Reishi, licorice..
35:43 Does she use herbs as liquid extracts, teas, food etc?
38:30 Intestinal permeability and microbiome imbalance
39:56 Gluten contamination in herbs and supplements – what to think about
43:49 advil liquid gels contains gluten
47 :44 gluten free recipes
49:47 Favourite herbs for gut health
52:11 Sarah’s personal protocol.
55:00 How to get in touch with Sarah, Rowan and Sage

About Sarah

Clinical Herbalist and creatrix of Rowan + Sage, a small-batch apothecary brewing plant potions and other herbal magic in the heart of Atlanta, GA. Sarah’s path as an Herbalist blossomed from experimentation with plants to support her own health challenges, specifically through her experience with Celiac Disease. She is a forever student of the magic of nature & the human body, holding a Bachelors of Science in Psychology with an additional focus on Nutrition, certifications from the College of Purna Yoga, and over seven years of combined self-study and formal education in Herbalism. Through her work with Rowan + Sage, Sarah offers a line of Celiac-safe herbal products made from locally sourced herbs grown in her bioregion and offers one-on-one wellness consultations to help others experience vibrant well-being.

Get in touch

www.rowanandsage.com 

Instagram: @rowanandsage

Facebook: @rowanandsageshop

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/rowanandsage

The post Coeliac Disease – How to take control of your health and healing your gut with herbs. appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Ours isn’t a gluten free household, but I do like to cut down the amount of wheat consumed, and I also like to experiment with recipes for my patients. So in the search for gluten free cookies that are easy to make and toddler friendly, this recipe was born.

Millet is a gluten-free ‘ancient’ grain. It is one of the oldest crops known to man, and was one of the first grains that man made bread from. It is more closely related to corn than to wheat. It is usually better digested than most grains, and being free from gluten it is a good alternative to wheat.

It has a nutty taste usually, but there is a potential for slight bitter aftertaste if the flour is a bit older which means the fat has started to oxidise. This can be lessened by keeping the flour in the freezer, or grinding the flour fresh (this would be ideal as you are going to retain more nutrients, but not an option for many people). Use the flour within a few weeks of opening.

Millet is rich in magnesium, as well as vitamin B3 (niacin).

It does have a caution – it acts as a goitrogen, which means it can reduce the uptake of iodine into the thyroid gland. In the ocassional meal (and you know I love to vary up the diet) it’s not going to be an issue, but as a staple it would potentially cause an issue. For those with hyperthyroidism or iodine excess, this is actually a bonus. And if you have enough iodine in your diet, the effect of millet is likely not an issue.

Gluten Free Choc Chip Cookies

These are easy to make and toddler approved. I like to get Ash involved with cooking by measuring out the flour and other ingredients into the little measuring cups and and then getting him to tip it into the mixing bowl. I also ask him to help stir, which he does a little and then I finish up the rest.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup millet flour (140g)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips, or more if desired
• 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp butter or melted coconut oil
• 3-5 tbsp milk of choice, as needed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190 C.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
3. Add wet ingredients and mix through well.
4. Now you can separate into the cookies by taking a small handful, or a large spoonful and rolling it between your palms to form a ball (approximately golf ball size).
5. Bake for 7 minutes, then remove and let stand on tray for 10 minutes. They will be slightly under cooked when you take them out of the oven but that’s okay because they will finish up on the tray when they’re resting.

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“The immune system present in the gut makes more immunological decisions in a day than the rest of the immune system does in a lifetime”.  (1)

If your immune system isn’t behaving itself properly, you might want to consider that your digestive system is the culprit.

Your digestive system has a special mucosal lining over the surface of your intestines, and the health of your gut flora (the complex, extremely important colony of bacteria within your digestive system, also known as the microbiome) has a huge amount of immune decisions to make on a daily basis – it has to deal with bacteria, viruses and food, and decide each time whether it is a friend or foe.

Setting up the gut bugs

The bacteria within your gut are established within the first 20 days of life.  If the bacterial colony does not set up adequately, babies can be immune compromised and can be more prone to immune imbalances later on in life, as well as increased inflammation which is largely controlled by our immune cells.

Frequent use of antibiotics can severely impact on the health of your digestive system.  In some cases, certain bacteria can never recover after they have been killed by antibiotics (2).

The gut reports to the immune system

There is a special type of cell within the digestive system called a dendritic cell.  This cell is responsible for determining whether our immune system should be on high alert or not.  Occasionally this cell will extend a little feeler (almost like a tentacle) and take a handful of whatever is in your digestive system to examine, to then report back to the rest of the immune system whether everything is okay or not.  This can explain why your diet can have an effect on allergic conditions such as hayfever and eczema, as well as autoimmune conditions (3).

Immune cells in the gut

There are also a lot of other players involved in the gut, such as Immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and certain T lymphocytes.  sIgA helps to protect the epithelial layer from being inhabited by bacteria and viruses.  This helpful immunoglobin is actually produced by lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) which are actually created by Bifidobacteria (a good bacteria that exists mostly in the colon).  Unfortunately, Bifidobacteria are easily damaged, especially by antibiotics.

Enzymes do more than digest food

When you think about digestive enzymes, you’ll probably be thinking that they’re there to break down your food so it’s primed for absorbing.  They also have another important role to play, and that’s in breaking down substances that might be harmful to your immune system.  Due to poor eating habits, the secretion of enzymes is compromised in a large proportion of people.  Implementing habits such as chewing each mouthful more and taking time to enjoy and concentrate on your meal are helpful for stimulating the cephalic phase of digestion – where your brain tells the rest of the digestive system to get ready for food, and consequently more enzymes and acids are produced.

Fix your gut to improve your immunity

By now you are probably realizing that keeping your gut healthy is pretty dang important. In order to achieve this, there are a few strategies that can be implemented, all depending on how bad your gut and immune system is to begin with.

I highly recommend working with a practitioner in this, particularly if you are looking to assess and treat specific microbial imbalances, as it can be a complicated process that may require stool analysis, and some gut infections can take a long time to resolve so it’s helpful having the support of a practitioner.

Balance your gut flora: This process may need to start with a stool analysis to see if you’re lacking in certain beneficial bacteria, or whether you have a unfriendly bug that needs killing off. Depending on where your gut flora is at, you may need to look at using some herbal anti-microbial herbs or oils to kill off the unfriendly bugs, and also replacing the good guys with a probiotic supplement, as well as probiotic and prebiotic foods.

Repair the gut lining: There are plenty of options when it comes to gut healing. Things like slippery elm, the amino acid glutamine and glycine are my favorite tools for repairing the gut lining. Other options that can be helpful include Aloe Vera and Bone broths.

You also need ample supply of protein in your diet, as well as the mineral zinc.

Avoid irritating foods: This can be different for everyone, but some of the most common irritants for gut health include wheat, dairy and processed soy. As frustrating as it is, food intolerances can be developed to anything, so if you’re unsure what you’re intolerant or sensitive to it may be worthwhile completing an elimination diet or a food intolerance test.

Processed foods, sugar, alcohol and coffee can damage the gut lining as well so if gut healing is your goal it’s worthwhile keeping these foods out of the diet, or at least to a minimum.

Minimise stress: Interestingly the state of our gut and our mental health are interconnected (you can read more about this here) so it makes sense that if you are stressed, anxious or adrenally fatigued it is going to impair your gut healing journey.

Yep, stress affects everything in our body, and this includes stress of all forms. So even if your house isn’t on fire or something similarly dramatic, it doesn’t mean you’re not affected by stress. In this day and age there are a lot of pressures and expectations on people, everyone is usually in a rush and we’ve also got less support networks and rituals in place to help us deal with these stresses. On top of that, most people consume a diet that is less abundant in the nutrients that our bodies need to cope with stress, so it’s no wonder that stress has such as huge impact on our health and wellbeing.

Of course everyone deals with stress differently so the degree to which it affects your health will vary, but I recommend that everyone (regardless of whether you’re trying to heal your gut or not) incorporates stress management techniques into their day. This can include exercise, yoga, meditation, mental stillness, leisure time, time spent with friends or family, or journaling.

Works Cited

The post The gut and your immune system appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

When your gut controls your mood: the gut-brain axis

From as early as the 1930’s, scientists were beginning to understand that the health of our digestive system could influence our mood.  The state of our intestinal lining and the balance of bacteria within our digestive system have a major role to play in the production of our neurotransmitters: chemical transmitters that tell our brain whether we should be feeling such ways as happy, sad, agitated, or calm.  But even though the research in this area sky-rocketed in the last decade and continues to grow every day, the concept of our gut-brain connection isn’t very well known.

The gut is linked to the brain

Did you know – When you were just starting to grow in your Mumma’s womb, your brain and your digestive system developed from the same lump of tissue.  During this process of dividing up cells (embryogenesis) this lump of tissue divides and forms our central nervous system and our enteric nervous system (this is the nervous system of our gut – sometimes called the second brain).  These two are connected by an important ‘wire’ – our vagus nerve.  This development can help us understand why there are so many similar chemicals and receptors in both our brain and our digestive system, for instance serotonin.

Gut bugs and your mood

As soon as you’re born, bacterial colonies start to develop in your digestive system.  Within the first few days, the bacteria starts sending messages to the nervous system and can actually determine our nervous system ‘set point’ long term (1).

When the balance of our gut bacteria (collectively referred to as the microbiome) is affected, this can affect your mood.  Studies have found that the microbiome can have a major impact on stress levels and anxiety (2).  In fact, by treating imbalances in our microbiota, it is possible to support a wide range of mental health disorders (3), (4), (5), (6), (7).

The second brain

The nerves in your digestive system are constantly speaking to your central nervous system.  If your gut is irritated for some reason – say you’ve eaten something that you’re intolerant to (like gluten, for example), you’ve generally got a bad diet, there’s an imbalance in your microbiome (that’s your collective gut bacteria, remember) or you’ve got an infection – this can create an inflammatory reaction and will certainly make you irritated as well.  We know that depression is both associated with, and worsened by inflammation.  This inflammation in the brain can be driven by inflammation in the gut, which can be caused by intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and bacterial imbalances (dysbiosis).  Treating leaky gut can help reduce the severity of depression (4), (8), (9), (10), (11).

Neurotransmitters in our gut

Serotonin is produced in large amounts in our digestive system.  In people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) there is too much serotonin in their digestive system.  This is why antidepressants known as SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can improve the symptoms of IBS: these act by reducing the amount of serotonin taken into cells in the rest of our body which allows more to get into the brain.  However anti-depressants can affect the gut negatively as well, because if you weren’t making enough serotonin in the gut in the first place, you’d end up with even lower levels in the digestive tract and so it can become irritated, affectively you’ll get a depressed gut (12), (13).

A vicious cycle

When your gut is upset, you feel upset.  But stress can affect your digestive system just as much as it affects your mood.  It can impair the secretion of digestive acids, slow down the motility of the gut, allows the unfriendly bacteria to grow, reduces your friendly bacteria and exacerbates intestinal permeability (leaky gut) (14), (8).  This is a recipe for an unhappy digestive system, and as you know this can then go on to send more messages to your brain: so you can see how the cycle continues.

People with gut problems are more likely to experience anxiety and depression.  Some studies have found a high proportion of anxiety in those with gut conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS), Crohn’s disease and coeliac disease (15), (16), (17).

Helping the gut-brain axis.

By treating digestive problems, sealing leaky gut and balancing your microbiome it is possible to help with conditions such as anxiety and depression, and there’s even research showing the benefits of treating the gut in conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, schizophrenia and autism (10), (18), (11).  Probiotics are one of your major tools when it comes to treating the gut, but it’s a good idea to consult with a health practitioner to make sure you’re getting the right type, and also to get a good gut healing treatment program to go along with it ⁽¹⁹⁾, (4), (9).

Related articles:

• Probiotic stress busters: http://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/probiotic-stress-busters
• Depression starts in the gut?:  http://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/depression-begins-in-the-gut
• What is Dysbiosis: http://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/what-is-dysbiosis
• Fermented foods (foods to stop bloating and farting): http://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/foods-to-stop-bloating-and-farting-fermented-foods
• Enhance your health with probiotics: http://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/enhance-your-health-with-probiotics
• The benefits of soaking and sprouting: http://www.naturopathnsw.com.au/the-benefits-of-soaking-and-sprouting-plus-a-sprouted-chickpea-hummus-recipe

Works Cited

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