As a health writer, I have spent the last couple of years learning more about the relationship between our gut health and mental health as more developments have been discovered by researchers and gut health experts.
For example, we have shared that sourdough bread is better for your gut health, Alzheimer’s disease can be linked to the gut, and now, it turns out that mental health dips can be impacted by our diets.
Harvard University explains: “There is a connection between gut health and mental health. The gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion, and the brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines.
“The gut-brain axis suggests that taking care of our gut could be a key to easing anxiety. Mental health conditions like anxiety are often linked with chronic gut conditions like IBS. Recent research suggests that your gut bacteria could affect symptoms of anxiety and depression.”
Foods that improve your gut bacteria
Writing for the British Heart Foundation, Megan Rossi, founder of The Gut Health Doctor, a registered dietitian and nutritionist with a PhD in gut health, says there are some key changes you can make to your diet to improve your gut health.
She says: “One of the strategies I recommend is to eat 30 different plant foods every week. This might sound like a lot, but it includes fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans.
“It could be as simple as adding mixed seeds to whatever you’re eating in the morning. Or buying different coloured peppers, rather than one kind.”
If this sounds intimidating, the expert shares five quick food swaps you can make to your diet as inspiration:
- Crisps for plain popcorn
- Salted peanuts for roasted fava beans
- Add half a can of lentils to bolognese sauce
- Ice cream for frozen berries or live yoghurt with kefir
- Sweets for dried fruits
Of course, this can get a little pricy, remember that frozen fruits and vegetables maintain their nutritional value a lot more than fresh produce.