Have you experienced butterflies in your stomach when you're feeling nervous? Or noticed changes to your mood when you're feeling under the weather? This is the result of the gut-brain axis, which is responsible for the two-way relationship between our gut and mood.

The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome. Our gut microbiome plays a crucial role in maintaining digestive, immune and brain health.

The gut microbiome produces neurotransmitters (chemicals in our brain), which are important for regulating mood, sleep and appetite (e.g. serotonin and GABA (gamma-aminobutyric).

When our gut is irritated it sends signals that can lead to changes in the production of neurotransmitters, thus triggering changes to our mood. This is one explanation for the higher rates of depression found amongst people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Diets high in processed foods - think donuts, hot dogs and chips - have been linked to higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Furthermore, stress also impacts the gut microbiome. In fact, psychological treatment has been shown to reduce gut symptoms. This demonstrates the powerful two-way interaction between the brain and the gut. 

Given that we have a strong gut-brain connection, prioritising both diet and stress management is crucial for optimal physical and emotional health and wellbeing.

The key to a healthier gut is to increase the diversity of gut bacteria by consuming a greater variety of plant-based foods. The diversity of our diet impacts our health, including improved support for the immune system.

One of the largest international studies on gut health revealed that consuming a variety of diverse plant-based foods best supports a healthy gut (McDonald et al., 2018). People who ate 30 or more different plant-based foods each week had a greater diversity of gut bacteria, which is linked with a healthy and resilient gut. The magic is in mixing it up!