Stress and Probiotics: Another Study Showing the Link

Our gut is supposed to have a healthy amount of good bacteria in it. Many things can disturb this balance and probiotics are one of many ways to get gut health back on track. This is important for digestive health, but it can also be important for mental health.

In 2018 a study was published in the Clinical Nutrition journal that aimed to find out if probiotics can help reduce stress, anxiety and their negative effects on the mind. About 100 stressed out adults were either given a specific probiotic to take for 12 weeks or a placebo. They were given questionnaires to measure their stress and anxiety levels before, during and at the end of treatment.

The researchers found that the adults taking the probiotic had reduced stress and anxiety levels by week 4. By week 12, signs of inflammation in the body reduced in these adults as well. Memory and certain cognitive skills also improved. These changes were significantly different from the adults taking a placebo who did not experience the same levels of improvement.

As I always say, the link between gut health and mental health is a booming area of research that is full of promise. This study is yet another reminder that we need to think bigger and think outside the box when it comes to managing anxiety and stress. It’s also a reminder that different systems in our body are deeply interconnected and should not be treated as if they’re in independent compartments.

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What is Inflammation

I’ll often talk about inflammation when I’m working with patients. Many patients ask me what I mean when I say “inflammation”. The classic signs of inflammation are redness, swelling, heat and pain. When people think about inflammation, they think of a red, hot and swollen ankle from an injury or a painful and red finger that has a splinter. But there are many instances when we don’t see inflammation in the obvious ways. For example, inflammation has been associated with chronic conditions like heart disease, endometriosis, obesity and even anxiety or depression.

Inflammation is one way your body responds to threats. When a virus attacks your throat, your immune system revs up and the inflammation response kicks in. Your body sends out specials cells and chemicals to target and destroy the threat (in this case, the virus). This shows up as swollen tonsils and a red and painful throat. If the immune system is your body’s army, inflammation is its attack strategy. A similar inflammatory process happens in chronic conditions.

When you’re constantly exposed to things like stressful situations, lack of sleep and a poor diet, your body can see all of this as a threat – just like how it sees a virus as a threat. The inflammation response I mentioned above kicks in. But this time, there is no specific virus or splinter to target. This is when we see things like inflammation affecting arteries and contributing to heart disease or inflammation affecting the brain and contributing to anxiety and depression.

If you can’t quite understand what components are involved in inflammation, think back to your Magic School Bus days (if you ever watched that show) and you’ll get a pretty good visual of inflammation. Inflammation involves different cells from your immune system as well as chemicals. White blood cells like macrophages and chemicals like TNF-a and interleukins seek to target and destroy threats in our bodies (which is a good thing). But sometimes they attack things that shouldn’t be attacked and that’s when inflammation can cause problems.

Reducing problematic inflammation is one important way that I treat many chronic health conditions. If you want to learn more about how inflammation impacts mental health, click HERE.

Reducing Inflammation Can Reduce Anxiety and Depression

How are your 2019 goals going? Do you feel like you’re making progress with your New Year’s resolutions? Or is your mental health weighing you down? It can be disappointing to make all these goals for your new year and then realize that you don’t feel like taking steps towards them because you’re too anxious, depressed, unmotivated or irritable. “New Year, New You” might already be fading away to “New Year, Same Old”. Sometimes before you start tackling your goals, you need to get your head in the right space first. If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, that means doing everything you can to improve your chances of healing.    

There is exciting research in the field of mental health regarding the role that inflammation plays in anxiety and depression. Laboratory studies have found that inflammation impacts regions of the brain associated with fear and anxiety. Scientists have also found that factors that increase inflammation like poor diet, poor lifestyle, illness and stress can interfere with the production of serotonin and dopamine. These are brain chemicals that are important for mood and happiness.

Of course, inflammation is not the only factor involved in anxiety and depression but numerous studies have found that anxiety and depression patients seem to have higher levels of inflammation markers in their blood and cerebrospinal fluid. It also seems like anxiety and depression can further increase inflammation in the body (sounds like a vicious cycle, right?). It has even been found that some patients with mental health conditions have a genetic predisposition to higher levels of inflammation. Some doctors are using the term “brainflammation” to describe this connection between mental health and inflammation.  

Naturally, scientists want to see if reducing inflammation can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Herbs that reduce inflammation such as turmeric have been able to reduce symptoms of both anxiety and depression in several studies. There are many other natural ways your naturopathic doctor can use herbal medicine and nutritional supplements to reduce inflammation.

But beyond taking a pill, how else can you reduce inflammation? Eat well. Sleep well. Exercise. Relax. Lose Weight. These are core pillars of health and key ways to reduce inflammation.

Confused about all the information out there on how to eat well? Talk to a naturopathic doctor. Our whole job is to sift through the truth and the trendy myths to give you the diet information that will actually help you without overwhelming you. Not sleeping well despite drowning in melatonin supplements and sleepy tea? Talk to a naturopathic doctor. We’ll set you up on a science-based plan that solves your unique sleep problems. If you need support with losing weight, managing stress and exercising, naturopathic doctors can help you or connect you to resources and other people that can help you.

January can be such an exciting month full of promise for the year to come. It doesn’t have to be a month of disappointment and failed New Year’s resolutions. If you take the right steps and get the right support, this can be a year of real progress in your physical and mental health. If you want “New year, New you” to be true for you in 2019, prioritize yourself and prioritize your mental health.

Treating Depression Holistically

In 2012, 2.8 million Canadians reported having symptoms of mental health conditions like depression. With the coldest and darkest time of the year looming ahead of us, many are being impacted by seasonal affective disorder. However, millions of people experience mood disorders completely unrelated to the season. For some, these dips in mood may not be severe enough to be considered clinical depression but they are still negatively impacting happiness and wellbeing. For others, their symptoms are consistent with clinical depression.

Though there are many causes of depression, scientists argue that our lifestyle may be contributing to the rise in depression in the modern world. We move less, eat more, connect less with loved ones, sleep poorly and often feel pressed for time. Depression, in turn can make you less interested in connecting with family and friends or doing the things you used to love. It’s frightening to lose that feeling of looking forward to something that once brought you joy or interest. When you’re depressed, it’s easy to feel like you may never get to experience that joy or excitement again – or that you never really did experience it in the past.  

Medication and/or psychotherapy are important first line treatments to consider in cases of depression. But we should not stop there. Many researchers recommend including “lifestyle medicine” as part of a well-rounded, holistic treatment plan for depression. According to a paper published by BMC Psychiatry (PMID: 24721040), “lifestyle medicine” includes the following:

-          Improving diet

-          Physical exercise

-          Recreation and leisure

-          Relaxation and mindfulness/ meditation

-          Improving sleep

-          Improving environment (i.e. less exposure to pollution, chemicals, noise and more exposure to nature)

-          Social time

-          Reducing alcohol and smoking

Some of these concepts are still budding areas of research but the risk of trying them is low and your life will likely benefit in more ways than one for trying them. It has been argued that these interventions can improve depression by improving the health of your brain and hormones and by reducing inflammation (yes there is a connection between inflammation and depression).

As a naturopathic doctor, I recommend many of these treatments along with herbal medicine and acupuncture to my patients struggling with their mood. If a patient really needs medication, I never expect them to choose between medication or a naturopathic approach. With the right guidance, natural approaches can mesh perfectly well with medication. I also never expect a patient to change their lifestyle overnight. When mood and motivation are low it can be hard to make even the simplest changes to daily routines. Small, realistic steps are important to prevent discouragement.

With depression, the goal is not simply to numb the feelings of sadness but to move towards wellbeing and happiness. I want my patients to feel excited again about their lives, their family, their friends, their work and their ambitions. I believe a well-rounded, holistic approach to depression is key to getting closer to those goals. 

How Food Affects Your Mood

This was a food-filled weekend for many of us. I think we all understand that certain foods can leave us feeling bloated, nauseous and groggy. But did you know that food can affect your mood as well? If you’re finding it hard to keep up with the demands of your work and family life because you’re feeling down or stressed it might be time to revamp your diet.  

Inflammation and Your Brain

Many foods can trigger inflammation. This is especially true for processed foods and foods you have an intolerance or sensitivity to. This inflammation can happen in your gut as well as the rest of your body. It has been found that inflammation in your body is able to affect what goes on in your brain – and not in a good way. The inflammation can trigger feelings of anxiety, stress and even depression.

The Gut-Mood Connection

When you eat foods that your body can’t deal with, it damages the health of your gut bacteria. As bizarre as it sounds, the health of your gut bacteria is deeply connected to your mental health. Scientists have associated unhealthy gut bacteria with mood problems. Giving your body the right foods can improve your gut health.

Nutrients and Blood Sugar

Adding the right foods into the diet is just as important as taking the wrong foods out. In order to feel your best, your diet needs to be rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats, quality protein and other phytochemicals. These are key nutrients for a healthy brain and happy mood. Your diet also needs to be able to keep blood sugar levels stable as spikes and crashes in blood sugar are a recipe for stress and anxiety.

If you feel like you don’t have time to do all the things that are important for keeping mood troubles at bay, just start with small improvements to your diet. You will notice a difference over time. If you need help fixing your diet or if you’re wondering if you need food sensitivity testing, don’t hesitate to reach out. The connection between diet and mood is often overlooked. The sooner you get your diet right, the sooner you can get back to feeling like yourself so you can tackle your day with enthusiasm and be present and fully engaged with your loved ones.