The Washington Post: The link between our food, gut microbiome and depression.

[LifeIsThePitts]

washingtonpost.com/wellness...

Here's the link to the article

Gerrerd posted about the vagus nerve this morning and it reminded me of this article I read last month about the microbiome and our mental health. Thought it was appropriate to post about. VERY interesting and applicable to our challenges.

This is an awesome article supporting our gut microbiome and its correlation to depression symptoms. The gut brain axis has been studied for centuries. Speculation as far back as the early 1800s suggested that the two are intricately interwoven with each other and directly influence our moods and depression.

The research in this field is narrowing to identify causation and correlation between the food/mood connection. A diet high in fiber, fruits and veggies sustain a healthy microbiome. So it's true that We ARE what we Eat 😉🍄🍎🍓🥭🍌🍐🥝🫐🍠🍅🌶️🥦🥬🥑🫑🍇🧅🥕🍑🍋🥜

[Isinatra]

I’ve been interested in the research on it for a long time. What happens in your stomach can affect your brain. A healthy gut, a healthy brain. Part of diagnosing certain mental health issues could be a check of the balance of the stomach’s flora and fauna. But what happens afterwards is up to the patient if their flora is off. Are they able to purchase, cook and feel like eating healthier. Many can’t. Maybe in the future a series of scientifically created affective nutrients could be packaged for easy consumption. It’s a good idea….when big pharma decides it can make big bucks on it, then it will happen.

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to Isinatra]

If it's not profitable, it's not important. Money 🤑💰 is what makes the 🌎 world go 'round...not love, unfortunately 😭💟

[Isinatra in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

I’m with you….😭

[iloverugs]

I absolutely agree with this. I've struggled with anxiety and depression since high school, and my gut started having issues around that time. In late March, I started a food journal and an elimination diet - the low FODMAP diet - to try and figure out what was causing me issues. It quickly became apparent that I felt consistently much better while avoiding problematic foods, specifically foods that ferment in the gut, and my IBS symptoms drastically improved.

It's obvious for whatever reason my gut flora is not healthy. I strongly suspect that it's related to the rise of autoimmune diseases since the mid 1900s. The "hygiene hypothesis" postulates the idea that over-sanitizing everything in our households, environment and foods has led to recent health issues in modern society.

I used to scoff at the stories of hippies feeding their children soil for their health. I don't anymore.

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to iloverugs]

We removed ADDED SUGAR from our diet beginning of June last year. It has changed our physical bodies in DRAMATIC ways. Our annual physical is in July and im very intrigued to see what the blood test results reveal.Following a primarily organic whole foods diet has benefitted us in ways I never imagined. Hubby is 53 and runs 30 miles a week. I'm 49 with Many MANY health complications and I run 20+ miles a week. We've been together 27+ yrs and we've never been healthier, and we've been to hell and back multiple times where if I were a "betting Man" I'd have lost the bet that we'd have come out on the positive side of the ledger.

The last restaurant meal we had was June 9, '22... right before giving up the COPIUS AMOUNTS OF SUGAR we were eating and never realized how BAD it was for us.

DIET is CRUCIAL in quality of life. We're just not taught how to care for the body we're given.

Breakfast

[EndUser13]

Awesome, I'm a Dr. Pepper!

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to EndUser13]

You are what you eat!🤣

[LifeIsThePitts in reply to LifeIsThePitts]

I'm a pepper, you're a pepper, docha wanna be a pepper, too? 🎶🎵

Remember those commercials from the 80s-90s?