When it comes to mental health, medications and counselling are important tools and can be life saving, but they’re not your only option.
Taking a whole person approach, means investigating and addressing the underlying health issues that can contribute to mental health issues, like anxiety, and depression.
Some of these root causes can include:
- Gut imbalances and dysbiosis
- Chronic inflammation
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Poor sleep
- Chronic stress
- Hormone imbalances
Interestingly, almost all of these underlying factors are related to gut health in some way!
There’s a large body of research on the link between gut health and mental health, so let’s look at what we know:
- Up to 80% of your body’s serotonin, the happy hormone, is made in your gut.
- Vagal nerve innervation of the gastrointestinal tract connects the gut directly to the brain, and this is called the gut-brain connection.
- Other brain chemicals are made in the gut as well and were once thought to directly influence mental health, however we now know it’s a bit more complicated than that.
- The balance (or imbalance) of microbes in your gut directly impacts your mental health. There are many great scientific studies that show improvements in depression and anxiety using targeted probiotic strains, confirming that your microbiome health can greatly impact your mental health!
Most people nowadays have some degree of microbiome dysbiosis: an imbalance of bacteria, yeasts and other organisms in the gut.
This imbalance promotes chronic inflammation and immune activation which directly impacts the brain.
One of the most recent theories of depression is that it is an inflammatory disease – and we now know that this inflammation stems from the gut.
The good news is, this puts your mental health in your hands.
When you work with a practitioner at Verdure we do a comprehensive health intake to screen for root causes of mental health conditions, and to determine what type of digestive issues you have.
At Verdure our team may use functional testing such as blood testing, stool testing, or urine testing to assist in determining the root cause.
Once we have your test results we then create a customized protocol to improve mental health, gut health, and overall wellbeing.
If you’re struggling with your mental health and would like to learn more about the role of your gut health in mental well being, book a session with our naturopaths or nutritionists to start feeling yourself again.
The content provided is not intended as health or medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or a prescription. Always seek the advice of your medical provider with any questions you have regarding your health. Verdure Wellness Clinic Inc is released from any liabilities resulting from the use of information contained here.
