Gastrointestinal Issues: What’s Your Brain Have to Do with It?
Have you ever become so excited or upset that it caused you to have to run to the bathroom? What about getting news so bad it made you feel nauseated? If you’ve ever experienced these symptoms, you’ve felt the brain-gut connection firsthand.
The connection between the brain and the gut is a real thing, and can affect both men and women, though in different ways. Gastrointestinal (GI) issues have an impact on the brain — and vice versa.
The Brain-Gut Connection
The brain-gut connection is evident when we experience butterflies in our stomachs, typically when we’re excited, in love or scared. Strong emotions can cause people to experience GI symptoms.
Science is beginning to understand the process behind this link, which ultimately relates to hormones released from different parts of our brain — yes, they are in your head, as well as other places — when we are particularly stressed or excited.
Chemicals circulating in the bloodstream affect the sensitivity and function of nerves in the wall of the gut, which can be collectively referred to as the enteric nervous system.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Brain
Researchers are starting to understand the impact of activity within the gut on the brain. One example is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that affects up to 15% of people in the United States and women twice as often as men. If you have IBS, the nerves in your gut are extremely sensitive, and the brain processes these signals from your gut differently than it would if you did not have IBS. Even small amounts of gas can trigger pain, bloating, constipation or diarrhea.
Gut Issues and Mood
Doctors caring for people with gut issues have observed how GI problems can affect a person’s mood and sense of well-being.
For instance, some people with chronic constipation also report a depressed mood or even headaches. While many natural health practitioners focus on the negative effects of toxins in the body, that’s not what’s likely behind the brain-gut connection. Some experts believe being constipated actually causes the enteric nervous system to send certain signals to the brain, which then trigger a cascade of feelings.
The intestinal biome is being studied and future research may reveal more secrets of the relationship between intestinal ailments and mood — and how it can be modified. Managing gut bacteria may prove to be a way to achieve positive changes in our mood. Gastrointestinal Issues: What’s Your Brain Have to Do with It? | Johns Hopkins Medicine
Eating healthy not only makes you feel good, but it can also protect your brain from premature aging and diseases like dementia.
Think of your brain as a powerful engine.
To run at full throttle, it needs the right fuel. Just like a car needs high-quality gasoline, our brain needs specific nutrients to keep our minds clear and alert. While we usually focus on physical nutrition, it’s crucial to remember that our mental health also depends on what we eat. Some foods have the power to enhance our concentration, memory, and creativity. If you want to boost your focus, strengthen your memory, and keep your mind sharp, it’s essential to include foods in your diet that provide the necessary nutrients for optimal brain function.
The Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fish, has become a benchmark in preventing neurodegenerative diseases. Besides its benefits for the brain, this diet helps reduce blood pressure, a key risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Incorporate these 12 foods into your daily diet, and you’ll notice the difference in your mental health.
Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens are true superfoods for our brains.
These greens are packed with essential nutrients like beta-carotene, folic acid, lutein, and vitamin K, which work together to keep our brains healthy and active. By incorporating a variety of these greens into our diet, we’re giving our brains the nutrients they need to function optimally.
Nuts
Nuts are known for their nutritional value, but walnuts stand out as a true brain superfood. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, essential for optimal brain function, and loaded with antioxidants that combat cellular damage, walnuts are an invaluable ally for maintaining a sharp and healthy mind. Scientific studies support the idea that regular consumption of walnuts can improve memory, concentration, and learning ability.
Coffee and Tea
Beyond being simple stimulants, coffee and green tea offer surprising benefits for our brain health. Caffeine, present in both beverages, acts as a powerful neurostimulant, enhancing our ability to concentrate, process information, and make decisions. Additionally, coffee is a rich source of antioxidants that protect our brains from damage caused by free radicals. On the other hand, green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation and reduces stress, creating a perfect balance between alertness and calm. Recommended daily intake: up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (about four cups of coffee or black tea) is generally considered safe for most adults.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the best foods for brain health
Imagine a ripe tomato, freshly picked from the garden. Its fleshy, juicy pulp hides a nutritional treasure: lycopene. This natural pigment, besides giving tomatoes their intense color, acts as a protective shield for our brains, helping to prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
A medium tomato contains about 3.2 mg of lycopene, but to get the maximum benefits, experts recommend consuming between 9 and 21 mg per day. So, don’t hesitate to include tomatoes and their derivatives in your daily diet! Your brain will thank you.
Whole Grains
Whole grains like whole wheat, oats, and brown rice are known for their role in cardiovascular health. However, few know that these foods are also an excellent source of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that protects our brains from damage caused by free radicals.
By including whole grains in our diet, we not only take care of our hearts but also strengthen our brain health in the long term. Recommended daily intake: Guidelines recommend at least three servings of whole grains per day, totaling at least 48 grams.
Broccoli
Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are also important.
These vegetables contain high doses of glucosinolates. Not only are spinach and lettuce allies of our brains. Broccoli and its cruciferous relatives (like cauliflower and broccoli rabe) also play a fundamental role in brain health.
These vegetables are a rich source of glucosinolates, compounds that, when in contact with water, transform into isothiocyanates. These powerful antioxidants have the ability to protect our neurons and improve overall brain function.
Turmeric
Believe it or not, your spice rack can be a true ally for your brain’s health. Turmeric, the spice that gives curry its golden color, contains a compound called curcumin with amazing neuroprotective properties. Scientific studies suggest that curcumin could help prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and stimulate the growth of new brain cells. So, the next time you season your food, remember that you’re nourishing not just your palate, but also your mind.
Pilot study shows ketogenic diet improves severe mental illness
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According to research being reported in the Journal Cell Reports Medicine, in the animal study researchers found that the keto diet. Which is low in carbohydrates and high in fat, triggers a signaling pathway in the brain that enhances synapse function, leading to improved memory.
The best part? The Researchers say swapping to a keto diet triggered these brain benefits after just a week. and the effects grew stronger over time. Also, A small clinical trial led by Stanford Medicine found that the metabolic effects of a ketogenic diet may help stabilize the brain.
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A study led by researchers at Stanford Medicine showed that diet can help those with serious mental illness. For people living with serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, standard treatment with antipsychotic medications can be a double-edged sword.
While these drugs help regulate brain chemistry, they often cause metabolic side effects such as insulin resistance and obesity, which are distressing enough that many patients stop taking the medications.
Now, a pilot study led by Stanford Medicine researchers has found that a ketogenic diet not only restores metabolic health in these patients as they continue their medications, but it further improves their psychiatric conditions.
The results, published March 27 in Psychiatry Research, suggest that a dietary intervention can be a powerful aid in treating mental illness.
Making the connection
“It’s very promising and very encouraging that you can take back control of your illness in some way, aside from the usual standard of care,” said Shebani Sethi, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and the first author of the new paper.Sethi, who is board certified in obesity and psychiatry, remembers when she first noticed the connection. As a medical student working in an obesity clinic, she saw a patient with treatment-resistant schizophrenia whose auditory hallucinations quieted on a ketogenic diet.
That prompted her to dig into the medical literature. There were only a few, decades-old case reports on using the ketogenic diet to treat schizophrenia, but there was a long track record of success in using ketogenic diets to treat epileptic seizures.
“The ketogenic diet has been proven to be effective for treatment-resistant epileptic seizures by reducing the excitability of neurons in the brain,” Sethi said. “We thought it would be worth exploring this treatment in psychiatric conditions.”
A few years later, Sethi coined the term metabolic psychiatry, a new field that approaches mental health from an energy conversion perspective.
Shebani Sethi
April 1, 2024 – By Nina Bai
In the four-month pilot trial, Sethi’s team followed 21 adult participants who were diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, taking antipsychotic medications, and had a metabolic abnormality — such as weight gain, insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridemia, dyslipidemia or impaired glucose tolerance. The participants were instructed to follow a ketogenic diet, with approximately 10% of the calories from carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 60% from fat. They were not told to count calories.
“The focus of eating is on whole unprocessed foods including protein and non-starchy vegetables, and not restricting fats,” said Sethi, who shared keto-friendly meal ideas with the participants. They were also given keto cookbooks and access to a health coach.
The research team tracked how well the participants followed the diet through weekly measures of blood ketone levels. (Ketones are acids produced when the body breaks down fat — instead of glucose — for energy.) By the end of the trial, 14 patients had been fully adherent, six were semi-adherent and only one was non-adherent.
The participants underwent a variety of psychiatric and metabolic assessments throughout the trial.
Before the trial, 29% of the participants met the criteria for metabolic syndrome, defined as having at least three of five conditions: abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, elevated blood pressure and elevated fasting glucose levels. After four months on a ketogenic diet, none of the participants had metabolic syndrome.
On average, the participants lost 10% of their body weight; reduced their waist circumference by 11% percent; and had lower blood pressure, body mass index, triglycerides, blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.
“We’re seeing huge changes,” Sethi said. “Even if you’re on antipsychotic drugs, we can still reverse obesity, metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance. I think that’s very encouraging for patients.”
The participants reported improvements in their energy, sleep, mood and quality of life.
The psychiatric benefits were also striking. On average, the participants improved 31% on a psychiatrist rating of mental illness known as the clinical global impressions scale, with three-quarters of the group showing clinically meaningful improvement. Overall, the participants also reported better sleep and greater life satisfaction.
“The participants reported improvements in their energy, sleep, mood and quality of life,” Sethi said. “They feel healthier and more hopeful.”
The researchers were impressed that most of the participants stuck with the diet. “We saw more benefit with the adherent group compared with the semi-adherent group, indicating a potential dose-response relationship,” Sethi said.
Alternative fuel for the brain
There is increasing evidence that psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder stem from metabolic deficits in the brain, which affect the excitability of neurons, Sethi said.
The researchers hypothesize that just as a ketogenic diet improves the rest of the body’s metabolism, it also improves the brain’s metabolism.
“Anything that improves metabolic health in general is probably going to improve brain health anyway,” Sethi said. “But the ketogenic diet can provide ketones as an alternative fuel to glucose for a brain with energy dysfunction.”
Likely there are multiple mechanisms at work, she added, and the main purpose of the small pilot trial is to help researchers detect signals that will guide the design of larger, more robust studies.
As a physician, Sethi cares for many patients with both serious mental illness and obesity or metabolic syndrome, but few studies have focused on this undertreated population.
She is the founder and director of the metabolic psychiatry clinic at Stanford Medicine.
“Many of my patients suffer from both illnesses, so my desire was to see if metabolic interventions could help them,” she said. “They are seeking more help. They are looking to just feel better.”
Researchers from the University of Michigan; the University of California, San Francisco; and Duke University contributed to the study.
The study was supported by Baszucki Group Research Fund, the Kuen Lau Fund and the Obesity Treatment Foundation.
A ketogenic diet may have several benefits for brain health and cognitive function12345:
- It can help stabilize the brain and reduce symptoms of mental illness1.
- Ketones can supply up to 75% of the brain’s total energy needs2.
- Ketogenic diets may work by lowering inflammation in the brain3.
- Ketones efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier and produce more usable energy for the brain than glucose5.
- They may also protect neurons from damage and have an antioxidant effect5.
- Nina Bai is a science writer in the Office of Communications.
- Email her at nina.bai@stanford.edu.
Media Contacts
- Nina BaiTel 650-724-2763
- nina.bai@stanford.edu
About Stanford Medicine
Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.
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