The Gut-Brain Connection: How it Works and The Role of Nutrition

Have you ever had a gut feeling or butterflies in your stomach?

These sensations from your belly suggest that your brain and gut are connected. What is more, recent studies show that your brain affects your gut health, and your gut may even affect your brain health.

The communication system between your gut and brain is called the gut-brain axis.

This article explores the gut-brain axis and foods beneficial to its health.

How Are the Gut and Brain Connected?

The gut-brain axis is a term for the communication network that connects your gut and brain. These two organs are connected both physically and biochemically in several different ways.

The Vagus Nerve and the Nervous System: Neurons are cells in your brain and central nervous system that tell your body how to behave. There are approximately one hundred billion neurons in the human brain. Interestingly, your gut contains five hundred million neurons connected to your brain through nerves in your nervous system.

The vagus nerve is one of the biggest nerves connecting your gut and brain. It sends signals in both directions. For example, in animal studies, stress inhibits the signals sent through the vagus nerve and causes gastrointestinal problems. Similarly, one study in humans found that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Crohn’s disease had reduced vagal tone, indicating a reduced vagus nerve function.

An interesting study in mice found that feeding them a probiotic reduced the amount of stress hormone in their blood. However, the probiotic had no effect when their vagus nerve was cut. This suggests that the vagus nerve is vital in the gut-brain axis and its role in stress.

Neurotransmitters: Your gut and brain are also connected through chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters produced in the brain control feelings and emotions. For example, the neurotransmitter serotonin contributes to feelings of happiness and helps control your body clock. Interestingly, your gut cells and the trillions of microbes living there produce many of these neurotransmitters. A large proportion of serotonin is made in the gut.

Your gut microbes also produce a neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which helps control feelings of fear and anxiety.

Studies in laboratory mice have shown that certain probiotics can increase GABA production and reduce anxiety and depression-like behavior.

Gut Microbes Make Other Chemicals That Affect the Brain: The trillions of microbes that live in your gut also make other chemicals that affect how your brain works. Your gut microbes produce many short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) such as butyrate, propionate, and acetate. They make SCFA by digesting fiber. SCFA affects brain function in many ways, such as reducing appetite.

One study found that consuming propionate can reduce food intake and reduce the activity in the brain related to reward from high-energy food.

Another SCFA, butyrate, and the microbes that produce it are also important for forming the barrier between the brain and the blood, called the blood-brain barrier.

Gut microbes also metabolize bile acids and amino acids to produce other chemicals that affect the brain. Bile acids are chemicals made by the liver that is usually involved in absorbing dietary fats. However, they may also affect the brain.

Two studies in mice found that stress and social disorders reduce the production of bile acids by gut bacteria and alter the genes involved in their production.

Gut Microbes Affect Inflammation: The immune system also connects your gut-brain axis. Gut and gut microbes play an important role in your immune system and inflammation by controlling what is passed into the body and what is excreted. If your immune system is switched on for too long, it can lead to inflammation, associated with several brain disorders like depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an inflammatory toxin made by certain bacteria. It can cause inflammation if too much of it passes from the gut into the blood.

This can happen when the gut barrier becomes leaky, allowing bacteria and LPS to cross over into the blood.

Inflammation and high LPS in the blood have been associated with several brain disorders, including severe depression, dementia, and schizophrenia.

Summary: Your gut and brain are connected physically through millions of nerves, especially the vagus nerve. The gut and its microbes also control inflammation and make many different compounds affecting brain health.

Probiotics, Prebiotics, and the Gut-Brain Axis: Gut bacteria affect brain health, so changing your gut bacteria may improve your brain health. Probiotics are live bacteria that impart health benefits if eaten. However, not all probiotics are the same. Probiotics that affect the brain are often referred to as “psychobiotic.”

Some probiotics have been shown to improve symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. One small study of people with irritable bowel syndrome and mild-to-moderate anxiety or depression found that taking a probiotic called Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 for six weeks significantly improved symptoms.

Prebiotics, which are typically fibers that are fermented by your gut bacteria, may also affect brain health.

One study found that taking a prebiotic called galactooligosaccharides for three weeks significantly reduced the amount of stress hormone in the body, called cortisol.

Summary: Probiotics that affect the brain are also called psychobiotics. Both probiotics and prebiotics have been shown to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression levels.

What Foods Help the Gut-Brain Axis? A few groups of foods are specifically beneficial for the gut-brain axis.

Here are some of the most important ones:

• Omega-3 fats: These fats are found in oily fish and high quantities in the human brain. Studies in humans and animals show that omega-3s can increase good bacteria in the gut and reduce the risk of brain disorders.
• Fermented foods: Yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and cheese contain healthy microbes such as lactic acid bacteria. Fermented foods have been shown to alter brain activity.
• High-fiber foods: Whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables contain prebiotic fibers that are good for your gut bacteria. Prebiotics can reduce stress hormones in humans.
• Polyphenol-rich foods: Cocoa, green tea, olive oil, and coffee all contain polyphenols, which are plant chemicals that are digested by your gut bacteria. Polyphenols increase healthy gut bacteria and may improve cognition.
• Tryptophan-rich foods: Tryptophan is an amino acid converted into the neurotransmitter serotonin. Foods that are high in tryptophan include turkey, eggs, and cheese.

Summary: A number of foods such as oily fish, fermented foods, and high-fiber foods may help increase the beneficial bacteria in your gut and improve brain health.

The Bottom Line: The gut-brain axis refers to the physical and chemical connections between your gut and brain. Millions of nerves and neurons run between your gut and brain. Neurotransmitters and other chemicals produced in your gut also affect your brain.

By altering the types of bacteria in your gut, it may be possible to improve your brain health.

Omega-3 fatty acids, fermented foods, probiotics, and other polyphenol-rich foods may improve your gut health, which may benefit the gut-brain axis.