Written by: Kevin Cann
For the millions of people in the world that suffer from mental illness, just snapping out of their negative moods is not an option. You may ask someone why they feel angry or sad all of the time, and they just can’t give you an explanation. They might say something like “I do not know why I feel like this, but I just do.” For those of us that do not suffer from mental illness this may be very difficult to comprehend. However, for those that are suffering, they may not truly know what is bothering them, and there is a reason for this.
We have ten times more bacteria in our bodies than we have human cells. Each one of us is an individual planet that gives refuge to hundreds of trillions of different bacteria. These bacteria actually influence the person that we are, and much like no individual is the same, no individual has the exact same bacterial makeup. These bacteria can actually influence our behavior, and an argument could be formed that they make us who we are.
These bacteria release chemicals into our bloodstream that can cross the blood brain barrier and actually influence our mood and behavior. They release some of the same chemicals used by our neurons. These chemicals are known as neurotransmitters, and some examples of them are serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
The most popular group of prescription anti-depressants are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). They increase the amount of serotonin around the neuron, and in return our depression and anxiety should diminish. The problem with prescription drugs is over time they lead to desensitization of the receptor cells so more is needed until the system becomes overworked and the medications no longer produce the desirable outcome. This is why medications for mood disorders are constantly being increased and changed.
If mood disorders are a decrease, or loss of balance with these neurotransmitters, and our gut bacteria produce these chemicals, then perhaps the next question should be “is there an imbalance in gut bacteria leading to the imbalance in neurotransmitters?”
This is a question that Dr. Emeran Mayer of the University of California. Los Angeles asked. He and his team looked at MRI scans and microbiota makeup of thousands of volunteers. What they found was nothing short of remarkable. They found that the connections of brain regions differed depending on the makeup of the gut bacteria (1).
This research does not show definitively that our gut bacteria is the cause for mental illness. However, there have been some promising studies performed on mice. One study in particular, researchers fed one group of mice broth that was fortified with lactobacillus rhamnosus, and one group of mice broth without any of the bacteria.
The researchers continued this feeding for approximately a month, and then tested the mice for signs of anxiety and depression. This is done by timing how long it takes the mice to enter unexplored areas of a maze. They also measured mRNA gene expression associated with anxiety and depression and stress levels in the mice. The mice fed the broth with the bacteria showed less anxiety and depression signs than the control group (2).
Now mice are not humans. Humans have a much more complex environment that can influence their emotions in a number of ways. However, many people report an increase in mood and energy when they take up a paleo diet (along with a number of other positive health issues). Perhaps a reason for this has to do with the influence the paleo diet has on our gut flora.
Our gut microbiome has evolved with us from the beginning. Breads, pastas, and other processed foods are a relatively new piece to our diet. Our gut bacteria require fruits, vegetables, and meats to flourish. They actually feed off of the fiber that we do not digest. If we have a diet that is high in processed foods and lower in fruits and vegetables, this can cause an unwanted shift in our gut flora that can lead to negative mood, lower energy, and even obesity.
The answer to having a better mood may not require a prescription (unless prescriptions of probiotics become available). In some cases, like that of major depressive disorder, medication may be a requirement to feel better. Options should always be discussed with a doctor first. However, cleaning up the diet and taking a probiotic does not come with negative consequences. The only consequences of a eating more fruits, vegetables, and meats is feeling better.
Woo Hi !!!
My name is Alex. I’m a 25 year old gal living in Brooklyn NY, working in Manhattan and moving to California in a month! Sayonara seasonal depression! I’m on episode 40 of the podcast and it makes riding the subway tolerable – so THANK YOU!! Okay enough of the irrelevant info.
I’m 25 years old, 5’5″, and 120 pounds. I am very lean. I hate even saying this but I have a six pack almost always just to give you an idea of my leanness. I strength train 5x a week. No cardio. I am a traditional strength trainer and try to hit all my muscle groups – back on mondays, chest tuesdays, legs wednesdays, shoulders thursdays, and bi/tri on fridays. Saturday and Sunday I surf or hike, ride my bike or honestly just vegetate if that’s my mood. I also get 8 hours of sleep per night (although I’m always waking up to pee 2-3x a night because of the water intake.)
I eat very healthy but since becoming full on Paleo a month or so ago I removed a few additional items (greek yogurt, whey shakes) and focused on MORE FATS. I take a digestive enzyme with each meal and a probiotic pill at night (eating probiotic foods as well.) I take vitamin D, magnesium/zinc and a multi daily. No more than a cup of coffee a day with half a packet of stevia.
Here are my questions 🙂 –
1. When can I stop taking the digestive enzymes? When will I know it’s time? I used to be more “regular” in the poop department – once a day situation but I believe it was because I was irritating my gut with dairy and whey. I just want to be regular again!!!
2. I have always had a whacky menstrual cycle but things haven’t changed since going Paleo. My last period was May (it’s September 2nd.) I really don’t know what to do here? I take progesterone (prescribed by this holistic doc I was recommended to) and I have never been on birth control for personal reasons.
3. I chew a ton of gum – like 2 packs a day. I know that’s crazy but it keeps me on track from mindlessly eating or wanting more/sweets. It helps me when I’m sitting at my desk or watching TV at home. Is this harming me? Does this affect my gut-bacteria? If it’s bad do you have an alternative?
Sorry this was so long and I asked (3) completely different questions but you have made a difference in my life and I so truly appreciate all the information you provide.
Hey Alexandra,
at 5’5″ and 120 with a year-round 6-pack, your lack of menstruation might be due to insufficient body fat. Young women (and older ones too) don’t like to hear this, but the female body requires a certain amount of fat in order to have the biological signal that it is “safe” enough to nourish a child. Even if you are not looking to get pregnant anytime soon, regular periods are a sign that you are healthy enough to do so, if you had that desire. Lack of menstruation can be a fairly early sign of more serious health issues, because reproductive function in general is not “essential” to survival in the immediate sense. Your body is not going to “waste energy” building up uterine/endometrial tissue when, due to low body fat, it perceives that there is a much more pressing “emergency” in your biological environment.
You work out (or play) 7 days a week. How intensely are you lifting? You might consider 1-2 days completely *off* from formal exercise. Maybe just a slow, peaceful walk if you absolutely *need* to move your body. (Not a powerwalk! Something *restorative,* rather than the depleting & demanding workouts you might be engaging in the rest of the week.)
How’s your caloric intake? Young women often dramatically under-eat without even realizing or intending to. Maybe your body really *does* need more food (and maybe slightly more carbs) than you’re typically giving it, but you might be using the gum to silence those hunger signals, rather than respecting that they might be your body’s way of asking you for more nourishment.
If you’re lifting hard most days of the week, there’s a good chance you’re not consuming enough calories. Very common in young women who are very active. DON’T BE AFRAID TO EAT, GIRL!
Thanks for the post, Robb. It is unfortunate that people react to mental illness differently than they do physical illness. I think the symptoms of mental illness can be just too strange and can prevent communication that leads to misunderstandings.
I want to mention the work of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride and her book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome”. She found that all of her mentally ill patients also had bad constipation, diarrhea or both alternating back and forth. Of course, pooping (sorry for the technical word there) problems implies that there are problems with the gut and its micro biome. Two of her solutions are to cut out sugary foods and drink bone broth.
Also, the inability to identify what is causing a mental problem can be camouflaged. The ego may create a fictional story so that there is a cause that is outside of the person. Placing the blame for the illness on another protects the injured person from more debilitating blame. So, yeah, mental illness has all of the complications of the body and its micro biome, but also those of the mind and the ego.
Finally, as the English doctors in 19th century Africa discovered, mental illness follows the consumption of sugar, molasses, flour and grog. So, hopefully stopping that consumption will reverse most mental illnesses.
Are there any particular probiotics you’d recommend for depression/anxiety?
I just started taking Probiophage DF from Designs for Health. It seems unique in its approach, and contains L. Rhamnosus, which was effective for the mice. Dr. Dan Kalish brought this to my attention.
Another probiotic that intrigues me is something called RegActiv. It contains L. Fermentum ME-3, which increases glutathione levels. It seems like this one might only be available by mail order, for most people.
This article by Dr. David Perlmutter might also help:
http://www.drperlmutter.com/learn/resources/probiotics-five-core-species/
Yeah, if only it was as simple as taking a probiotic. Let me ask this – why would that be ok, but taking an anti-depressant isn’t? Either way, the endogenous system is not coping, and you are intervening? Let me postulate – the reason you find one ok, but not the other, is that you do not want to accept that depression is an illness.
The brain is an organ. It sometimes malfunctions. The symptoms manifest themselves in ways that appear to affect something other than just the physical. Just as some medicines for other physical ailments don’t work on all patients (how many people successfully overcome a cancer, and how many do not overcome the same cancer, even with the same treatment?), not all medications work on all depressed patients. But this is not to say the medication is not effective. No, you are simply denying the extent and nature of the illness.
I take probiotics. I follow a Paleo diet. I suffer from depression. It is obviously a lot more complex than this trite pseudo-scientific article makes out.
Depression is a potentially fatal illness; advice like this does not help those faced with the problem.
Gut dysbiosis is just one stressor. It deserves some attention, but, other stressors cannot be overlooked.