Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection: How to Maintain Gut and Mental Health

Discover how your gut and brain communicate, why it matters for your mental and physical health, and practical ways to support gut microbiome balance

What if you could reduce your symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mood swings by improving your gut health? You may wonder what your tummy has to do with your brain and mental health. Everything!

Your gut and brain are closely connected. A healthy gut microbiome balance can set you up for good mood, energy, and mental clarity. Gut microbiome imbalances and digestive issues, on the other hand, may increase your symptoms of depression and anxiety. If you are interested in how to improve your gut microbiome balance, support the gut-brain connection, and improve your mental health, read on. 

The Importance of the Gut Microbiome

Did you know your body has more bacteria than human cells (1, 2)? It’s true. Your gut is home to trillions of tiny microbes. We are talking about bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms. They are not just living there rent-free, but they are greatly affecting your health and well-being, too.

This community of microbes is what we refer to as the gut microbiome. The average human gut has over 1,000 different species of bacteria living in it (3). Some of these bacteria are beneficial for your health. Others are harmful and can increase the risk of chronic inflammation, chronic symptoms, and chronic disease. The composition of these bacteria and microbes is essential for your gut microbiome balance and overall health.

All of us have some harmful bacteria and microbes living in our gut flora. To a certain level, this is normal. But you don’t want these bad guys to get out of hand. The goal is to have the right balance of the harmful and beneficial microbes. This means you want more of the beneficial bacteria and microbes, and few of the harmful ones.

If you have too many harmful bacteria and microbes in your gut, it can throw off gut microbiome balance. Gut microbiome imbalance or gut dysbiosis can lead to chronic inflammation, leaky gut syndrome, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, weight gain, chronic pain, inflammation conditions, autoimmune disease, and other chronic health problems. 

Gut microbiome balance and abundance of beneficial bacteria, on the other hand, can help to reduce chronic inflammation, increase energy, decrease chronic symptoms, and lower the risk of disease. A healthy gut microbiome is also critical for your brain and mental health.

The Gut-Brain Connection

You’ve probably heard people referring to the gut as the second brain of the body. This is not just a saying, but there is a lot of scientific truth to it. Your gut is the home of the enteric nervous system (ENS), which is a major part of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) that can control gastrointestinal behavior without the central nervous system (CNS) (4, 5).

As a result, your gut can communicate with your brain directly through the nervous system, immune system, endocrine system, and hormones. No surprise that your gut microbiome can not only affect your digestive health, but also your mental health and emotional well-being too (4, 5, 6).

Your Gut & Your Mental Health: The Science Behind It

Your gut health can affect your mental health in several ways. Gut microbiome imbalances can increase chronic inflammation, which can lead to the production of cytokines and other inflammatory substances, which can affect your mood and mental functioning (7, 8). 

Your gut bacteria also play a role in neurotransmitter production, including GABA and serotonin, which are essential for regulating the stress response and your mood (9, 10). Gut microbiome imbalances can impact neurotransmitter production and result in mental health issues, including depression and anxiety (11).

A 2017 review published in Clinics and Practice explains that there is a bidirectional communication between the gut microbiome and the central nervous system (12). This means that your gut can affect your brain, and your brain can affect your gut too. Researchers found that gut dysbiosis, gut inflammation, and gastrointestinal diseases, therefore, can contribute to the development of depression and anxiety. The review found that probiotics may help to improve the gut microbiome and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.

A 2022 research published in Brain Research Bulletin has found that the gut microbiome can influence vagus nerve activity (13). Vagus nerve health is critical for a healthy stress response and mental health, including reducing depression. 

A 2023 study published in EBioMedicine has also found that gut microbiome imbalances can increase the risk of depression; however, they also present an opportunity to improve it by addressing the gut (14). Researchers suggested that dietary interventions, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation are among the options to consider to improve gut and mental health.

A 2023 study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders has emphasized the importance of a gut-friendly diet to improve the gut and symptoms of depression (15). A 2023 study published in Pharmaceuticals (Basel) has found that therapeutic approaches, including prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, synbiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, 5-HTP, dietary interventions, and fecal microbiota transplantation, that can improve gut health may also improve depression and anxiety (16).

Use Coffee Enemas for a Healthy Gut Microbiome

Coffee enemas are our favorite tip to support detoxification and a healthy gut environment, and in turn, improve gut and mental health, energy, and emotional well-being (17). Coffee enemas can stimulate your liver to make more bile and improve glutathione production, which is an antioxidant that can help to remove toxins from your body.

The cleansing effect of coffee enemas can relieve digestive discomfort. It can also reduce gut inflammation and support gut microbiome balance. By reducing your toxin load and supporting a healthier gut ecosystem, coffee enemas can improve energy, mental clarity, emotional balance, mood, and overall vitality. Alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle, coffee enemas may help you reduce depression, anxiety, brain fog, and other mood or brain issues.

Other Ideas to Maintain a Healthy Gut Microbiome Naturally

Science clearly suggests that improving your gut health can also support your mental health. There are a number of ways you can help support a healthy gut microbiome and, as a result, your brain and mental health.

Eat a Nutrient-Dense Diet

If you want to improve your gut health, mental health, and emotional well-being, your first step is to follow a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, gut-friendly diet (18). Remove inflammatory foods from your diet. This includes refined sugar, refined oil, artificial ingredients, additives, deep-fried foods, conventional dairy, gluten, ultra-processed foods, and foods you are allergic to or sensitive to.

Eat plenty of nutrient-dense whole foods. Fill your plate with lots of organic greens, vegetables, sprouts, herbs, spices, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes. If you eat animal products, choose grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry, wild-caught fish and seafood, wild game, pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed butter and ghee, and organic dairy. Green juices, green smoothies, and raw foods are your friends. Don’t forget to drink lots of purified water throughout the day, too.

Consider Prebiotic and Probiotic Food

One major part of your diet should be prebiotic- and probiotic-rich foods. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria in your gut, and prebiotic fibers are the ones that feed these good bacteria. You need both for good gut health.

Prebiotic-rich foods include apples, bananas, onions, leeks, garlic, ijcama, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, Chikori root, and dandelion greens. Probiotic-rich foods include kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented herbs and vegetables, kefir, yogurt, and kombucha. Please note that if you have histamine intolerance, fermented foods are not ideal for you as they are high in histamine and may trigger symptoms. For most others, fermented foods can offer great health benefits(18). 

Take High-Quality Probiotics

Besides eating foods rich in prebiotics and probiotics, you may want to consider taking a high-quality probiotic supplement. Probiotics supplements can help restore your gut microbiome balance and support your brain and mental health (11, 20). They are a fantastic option in your toolkit to improve your gut and mental health.

Try Some Herbs to Fight Microbes

Gut microbiome imbalances are often caused by pathogenic overgrowth of harmful bacteria and microbes. Fortunately, there are a number of herbs that can help you fight and clear out the harmful pathogens and help restore gut flora balance. Some microbe-fighting herbs including sweet wormwood, black walnut hull, caprylic acid, and berberine sulfate (21, 22, 23, 24). Additionally, turmeric and ginger may help to decrease gut inflammation and improve gut and mental health (25, 26).

Improve Detoxification

Improving your detoxification pathways is critical for reducing your toxin load, which can result in gut microbiome imbalances (27). Detoxification can also help to remove unwanted, harmful bacteria from your gut. This is key if you want to improve gut and mental health.

First is to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins. Use an indoor air filtration system and a water purifier. Choose organic food to reduce your exposure to pesticides, herbicides, hormones, a nd chemicals. Use organic, natural, or homemade cleaning, personal hygiene, and beauty products. Reduce the use of plastics. Avoid smoking and secondhand smoke.

To improve detoxification, drink plenty of purified water, herbal tea, green juices, and green smoothies, and eat lots of hydrating fruits and vegetables. Use an infrared sauna regularly to improve detoxification through sweating. Try dry brushing and rebounding to support lymphatic drainage. 

Use liver and kidney supporting foods, including leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, beets, carrots, onion, turmeric, ginger, citrus, green tea, olive oils, and berries. You may benefit from a juice cleanse, liver or kidney detox program, or another cleaning program with the support of a naturopathic or functional medicine doctor.

Reduce Stress and Lead a Healthy Lifestyle

Finally, if you want to improve your gut and mental health, you can’t forget about your stress levels and your lifestyle either. Chronic stress, poor sleep, a sedentary lifestyle, and other poor lifestyle choices can all impact your gut microbiome balance and your mental health (28, 29, 30).

Reduce your stress levels and learn strategies to manage stress better. Meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, guided relaxation, and gratitude are all great options for lowering stress levels and boosting mental health. Journaling is a great way to process and release emotions. Spending time in nature and grounding may help to center yourself. 

Aim to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Develop an evening routine that works for you. Avoid electronics, heavy food, sugar, alcohol, and stress, at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. Choose relaxing activities, such as reading, coloring, journaling, listening to music, doing puzzles, or taking a bath. 

Move your body throughout the day and exercise at least 5 times per week. Incorporate cardiovascular, strength and resistance training, and low-impact workouts. Lower your exposure to environmental toxins and choose organic, natural, and homemade options when it comes to household products. 

Final Thoughts

If you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, mood imbalances, or other mental health symptoms, you may need to improve your gut microbiome balance. To improve your gut and mental health, follow our tips in this article. One of our main recommendations for gut and mental health is using coffee enemas. Check out our bestseller Complete Coffee Enema Kit, to get started with coffee enemas for gut microbiome balance, gut health, and mental well-being.