What You Need To Know About Your Brain And Probiotics
Our mental acuity and ability to trust that inner voice is intimately connected to our physiological condition and the physical health of the gut. Increasing research into the psycho-neuro-gut connection and new findings on this interaction show just how interconnected our mental health, brain health, gut health and immune systems are. It also explores the impact of all this on stress and resilience.
I recently interviewed Hayley Pedrick, a leading Harley Street Nutritionist. We talked a lot about the gut-brain connection. Shelves at drug stores and health food stores heave with an array of different strains and strengths of probiotics, so I wanted to pick her brain on how to work out what is worth knowing about how to choose what is right for us. Also, probiotics are often in the news – reporters love them, then dismiss them, and many people are left wondering whether we really need to take them at all. So, do we? I asked Hayley to describe in simple terms what can happen when there’s an overgrowth of the wrong sort of bacteria in the gut, and not enough probiotic bacteria and prebiotic fiber to keep it in check. She told us that there are some very interesting studies which show that if people have an overgrowth of unwanted bacteria in the gut, the microbes release LPS proteins which drive up inflammation and are detrimental to our health, including our mental well-being. Elevated levels of these proteins have been linked to the development of conditions such as Parkinson’s and dementia and also affect the amygdala in the brain which is our fear center - heightening feelings of anxiety and increasing our chances of experiencing mood disorders such as depression.
In other words, if you leave your microbiome to take care of itself, you could be running the risk of enabling mental health problems to flourish unchecked. In contrast, she explained, there’s considerable evidence that some probiotics have the opposite effect, reducing symptoms associated with mood disorders such as anxiety or negative thinking. Here’s her list of some of the most effective strains that you can look out for:
· Bifidobacterium Longum (found in sauerkraut and pickles) and lactobacillus brevis have been shown to improve levels of BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) which protects and promotes brain cell growth.
· Bifidobacterium lactic (fermented milk products like kefir) has been shown to improve immunity.
· Lactobacillus plantarum (fermented cabbage like kimchi and sauerkraut) is brilliant at reducing inflammation.
· Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 which has been shown to improve stress-associated behaviors in part through its prevention of salivary cortisol release and it’s also been shown to significantly improve sleep quality.
So who should take these probiotics, and when? Probiotics help to safeguard us against the overgrowth of pathogenic, unwanted bacteria which can create all sorts of problems in the body. There is good evidence for the use of probiotics whether food based or supplement based. Hayley and I always encourage a client to use them for 60 days after antibiotic use to support the repopulation of the gut microbiome with beneficial strains, and to safe-guard against the proliferation of opportunistic strains when our own microbial resources are compromised. It’s well documented though that you must eat a diverse, plant-based diet to allow for your own beneficial bacteria and yeasts to continue to thrive when you stop supplementation or within about two weeks, your microbiome will return to the state it was in pre-supplementation.
A good quality probiotic, coupled with a diet rich in a variety of plants, particularly those that are good sources of prebiotic fiber (onion, garlic, artichokes, chicory), will encourage a microbiome that will support healthy brain function. I take probiotics whenever I travel because your gut bacteria get jet lag too, but if you are not travelling once a quarter, then incorporate a one-month course into your regime at least every six months. A quality probiotic once a day in the evening after dinner, provides supportive strains for the immune system and when they digest the fiber you mindfully include in your diet, they will produce SCFA’s which are needed for the production of serotonin in the brain, which is converted into melatonin to promote better sleep.
We know a lot more than ever before about the gut microbiome. And now there is new evidence of three-way connection between the brain, gut neurons, and gut microbiome, with the bacteria communicating with both the gut and brain through chemical signaling. If you’d like to know more, I recommend reading The Psychobiotic Revolution by Scott C. Anderson. And watch this space as it’s a growing area of interest that I will be looking into and bringing brain-related insights from.
Dr. Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, leadership coach, author, and medical doctor. Her book, The Source: The Secrets of the Universe, The Science of the Brain, is out in the U.S in October.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/taraswart/2019/09/17/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-brain-and-probiotics/#5573b51f46cd
I recently interviewed Hayley Pedrick, a leading Harley Street Nutritionist. We talked a lot about the gut-brain connection. Shelves at drug stores and health food stores heave with an array of different strains and strengths of probiotics, so I wanted to pick her brain on how to work out what is worth knowing about how to choose what is right for us. Also, probiotics are often in the news – reporters love them, then dismiss them, and many people are left wondering whether we really need to take them at all. So, do we? I asked Hayley to describe in simple terms what can happen when there’s an overgrowth of the wrong sort of bacteria in the gut, and not enough probiotic bacteria and prebiotic fiber to keep it in check. She told us that there are some very interesting studies which show that if people have an overgrowth of unwanted bacteria in the gut, the microbes release LPS proteins which drive up inflammation and are detrimental to our health, including our mental well-being. Elevated levels of these proteins have been linked to the development of conditions such as Parkinson’s and dementia and also affect the amygdala in the brain which is our fear center - heightening feelings of anxiety and increasing our chances of experiencing mood disorders such as depression.
In other words, if you leave your microbiome to take care of itself, you could be running the risk of enabling mental health problems to flourish unchecked. In contrast, she explained, there’s considerable evidence that some probiotics have the opposite effect, reducing symptoms associated with mood disorders such as anxiety or negative thinking. Here’s her list of some of the most effective strains that you can look out for:
· Bifidobacterium Longum (found in sauerkraut and pickles) and lactobacillus brevis have been shown to improve levels of BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) which protects and promotes brain cell growth.
· Bifidobacterium lactic (fermented milk products like kefir) has been shown to improve immunity.
· Lactobacillus plantarum (fermented cabbage like kimchi and sauerkraut) is brilliant at reducing inflammation.
· Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 which has been shown to improve stress-associated behaviors in part through its prevention of salivary cortisol release and it’s also been shown to significantly improve sleep quality.
So who should take these probiotics, and when? Probiotics help to safeguard us against the overgrowth of pathogenic, unwanted bacteria which can create all sorts of problems in the body. There is good evidence for the use of probiotics whether food based or supplement based. Hayley and I always encourage a client to use them for 60 days after antibiotic use to support the repopulation of the gut microbiome with beneficial strains, and to safe-guard against the proliferation of opportunistic strains when our own microbial resources are compromised. It’s well documented though that you must eat a diverse, plant-based diet to allow for your own beneficial bacteria and yeasts to continue to thrive when you stop supplementation or within about two weeks, your microbiome will return to the state it was in pre-supplementation.
A good quality probiotic, coupled with a diet rich in a variety of plants, particularly those that are good sources of prebiotic fiber (onion, garlic, artichokes, chicory), will encourage a microbiome that will support healthy brain function. I take probiotics whenever I travel because your gut bacteria get jet lag too, but if you are not travelling once a quarter, then incorporate a one-month course into your regime at least every six months. A quality probiotic once a day in the evening after dinner, provides supportive strains for the immune system and when they digest the fiber you mindfully include in your diet, they will produce SCFA’s which are needed for the production of serotonin in the brain, which is converted into melatonin to promote better sleep.
We know a lot more than ever before about the gut microbiome. And now there is new evidence of three-way connection between the brain, gut neurons, and gut microbiome, with the bacteria communicating with both the gut and brain through chemical signaling. If you’d like to know more, I recommend reading The Psychobiotic Revolution by Scott C. Anderson. And watch this space as it’s a growing area of interest that I will be looking into and bringing brain-related insights from.
Dr. Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, leadership coach, author, and medical doctor. Her book, The Source: The Secrets of the Universe, The Science of the Brain, is out in the U.S in October.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/taraswart/2019/09/17/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-brain-and-probiotics/#5573b51f46cd
