The Gut-Brain Axis — The Powerful Connection Between Your Gut & Mental Health

Did you know that the microbes in your gut play a major role in your mood and cognitive function?

Microbes that have a positive impact on mood and mental health are called “psychobiotics.”

How does this happen?

Through various avenues, your gut microbiota can communicate with your brain. 

Microbes in the gut communicate bi-directionally with the brain and central nervous system through the Gut-Brain Axis.

Gut bacteria affect production of different neurotransmitters that affect mood! 

Did you know that the gut produces 90% of the body’s serotonin? 

And, if your microbiota get out of balance (dysbiosis), it can lead to chronic inflammation, a root cause of anxiety and depression.

Learn more about The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection

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Using Food, Nutrition and Psychobiotics to Support Your Mood

The food you eat directly affects the make-up of your gut microbiome. 

In turn, your gut microbiome affects your mood, overall mental health, and predisposition to anxiety and depression.

What’s the Best Diet for Mood?

The best diet for mood is a healthy whole foods diet.

This means lots of colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and lean protein. 

These foods provide nourishment for gut bacterial strains that can have a positive effect on your mental health.

On the other hand, a highly processed, high sugar, low fiber diet with few fruits and vegetables, unhealthy fats, etc., promotes dysbiosis. 

Gut dysbiosis is associated with poor mood.

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Bifidobacterium longum 1714  — Clinically Researched Psychobiotic

In addition to eating a healthy diet (which is foundational), one well-researched psychobiotic, Bifidobacterium longum 1714 supports cognitive function, mood regulation, sleep quality, and the stress response.

There are some exciting new supplements with Bifidobacterium longum 1714.

Zenbiome COPE

Bifidobacterium longum 1714 psychobiotic enhanced with saffron and vitamins B6 and B12.

Supports production of brain chemicals that affect mood and brain function.

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Zenbiome SLEEP

Bifidobacterium longum 1714 psychobiotic enhanced with L-theanine, a relaxing amino acid that plays a role in formation of the stress modulating neurotransmitter GABA.

Also contains Lemon Balm, a calming herb that may help with insomnia.

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Zenbiome DUAL
Groundbreaking Psychobiotic/Probiotic for IBS and Associated Mood Issues

It’s common for people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) to also experience anxiety and depression.

Zenbiome DUAL is a unique supplement that addresses BOTH of these conditions — mood and IBS.

Zenbiome DUAL combines the psychobiotic Bifidobacterium longum 1714 with Bifidobacterium longum 35624, a probiotic studied for relief of IBS symptoms (constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and abdominal discomfort).
IBS, anxiety and depression have all been linked to a dysfunctional microbiome, an altered immune response in the gut, and sensitivity to stress.

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Researchers find that IBS, anxiety and depression share the same root cause of a dysregulated gut microbiome (dysbiosis).

The disruption of the gut-brain axis dysregulates the tryptophan/serotonin/melatonin pathway, shifting it toward producing neuroinflammatory by-products.

Zenbiome DUAL is a unique probiotic which combines Bifidobacterium longum 1714 (for low mood) and Bifidobacterium longum 35624 (for IBS).

 

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Support a Healthy Microbiome for a Healthy Gut

You may have heard by now, a healthy microbiome protects integrity of gut lining barrier. The gut barrier is designed to keep bad things out of our bodies, like toxins out of bloodstream. When things get into our bloodstream that don’t belong there, it sets off an immune response.

Microbial diversity and large populations are necessary to provide resilience as well as an abundance of species that produce butyrate and those that support the mucus lining.

A healthy and diverse gut microbiome does these things for us:

Maintains Thick Mucus Layer – A thick mucus layer in the gut lining is necessary to keep bad things from getting into our bloodstream from the gut. Beneficial gut bacteria support production of goblet cells in intestinal mucosa that produce the thick mucus layer.

Reduces Inflammation – A healthy gut lining should not be inflamed. Certain beneficial bacteria help us keep down inflammation by fermenting nondigestive dietary fiber from plants. They produce a byproduct of short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) such as butyrate which is anti-inflammatory.

Maintains Tight Junctions – A metabolite of many beneficial gut bacteria, butyrate decreases low grade inflammation of the gut lining, supports maintenance and repair of tight junctions in gut lining, and has many other functions throughout body.

Fights Pathogens – A diverse microbiome competes with pathogens, keeping them at bay from wreaking havoc on our bodies.

Maintains Gut Motility – The microbiome helps us to have normal gut motility. This not only helps with proper elimination, but also accelerates healing of damaged cells post infection.

Supports Maturation of Immune System and Healthy Immune Tolerance – By keeping things balanced and calm in the gut, and by supporting gut lining integrity, foreign entities are unlikely to cross over into the bloodstream where the immune system might overreact.

We need the gut microbiome to “tend” to our gut. If your gut microbiome is not “tending” to your gut lining, you are more vulnerable to inflammation and leaky gut and even the onset of chronic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes.

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Your oral health is more important than you might realize. Learn how the health of your mouth, teeth and gums can affect your general health. Did you know that your oral health offers clues about your overall health — or that problems in your mouth can affect the rest of your body? Protect yourself by learning more about the connection between your oral health and overall health.

What’s the connection between oral health and overall health?

Like other areas of the body, your mouth teems with bacteria — mostly harmless. But your mouth is the entry point to your digestive and respiratory tracts, and some of these bacteria can cause disease.

Normally the body’s natural defenses and good oral health care, such as daily brushing and flossing, keep bacteria under control. However, without proper oral hygiene, bacteria can reach levels that might lead to oral infections, such as tooth decay and gum disease.

Also, certain medications — such as decongestants, antihistamines, painkillers, diuretics and antidepressants — can reduce saliva flow. Part of saliva’s job is to wash away food and neutralize acids produced by bacteria in the mouth, helping to protect you from microbes that multiply and may lead to disease.

Studies suggest that oral bacteria and the inflammation associated with a severe form of gum disease (periodontitis) might play a role in some diseases. Compounding that, certain diseases, such as diabetes and HIV/AIDS, can lower the body’s resistance to infection, making oral health problems more severe.

Read the full article.

It’s a two-way street — your oral health might contribute to various diseases and conditions, and certain conditions also might affect your oral health.

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Oral Bacteria and PPI’s

Dysbiosis of the mouth is thought to be the root cause of many diseases. The oral microbiome is connected to, and affects the rest of the gut microbiome.

Stomach acid has an important job of naturally killing many pathogens entering from the mouth. But when people are on PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) or other acid suppressing medications (like H2  blockers), acid levels are reduced and the body loses that natural protection. Consequently, many “bad bacteria” that originated in the mouth are not killed off and can get translocated to the small intestine where they do not belong! If these bacteria take hold and flourish, this can lead to gut dysbiois, gut inflammation and digestive symptoms.

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Nutrition and a Healthy Mouth — Diet and Supplements

Among other things, a healthy mouth is one that is free from inflammation, has pink, firm gums, no bleeding and very little plaque. (And of course, no untreated caries!)

Oral health begins with good oral hygiene and a healthy diet. It’s foundational to eat a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet — a whole foods diet (e.g. lots of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grains, healthy fats, lean proteins, little red meat, fatty fish, no processed foods or added sugars).

In addition, to a healthy, nutrient dense, whole foods diet, the following nutrition supplements are being used in functional medicine-based dentistry:

• Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Vitamin C – gum, tooth and bone health
• CoQ10 – gum health
• Probiotics – oral microbiome

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The post below from Fungi Perfecti, makers of Host Defense mushrooms, gives a great summary explanation of how mushrooms support the immune system.

Each mushroom has its own unique chemistry and individualized therapeutic properties, but they share their role in immunomodulation. Many mushroom species fight foreign invaders through anti-bacterial, anti-viral or anti-Candida properties. 

From cognition and mood support to energy and stamina, each mushroom species used in Host Defense® Mushrooms supplements offers a unique range of potential health benefits.

But one thing that each species has in common is the ability to offer immune support.

One of the great things about beneficial mushroom mycelium supplements is their ability to support an engaged and balancedimmune response.*

How do mushroom mycelium supplements support the IMMUNE SYSTEM?

• The immune system is activated by polysaccharides, terpenes, and other compounds found in mushroom mycelium and fruitbodies.*
• Each beneficial mushroom species contains a wide variety of nutrients and compounds to support our natural immunity.*
• The variety and multitude of nutrients found in mushrooms is the key to immunomodulation.*

What is IMMUNOMODULATION?

• Immunomodulation is the regulatory adjustment of the immune system to bring it into balance.
• Immune cell modulation is important because we don’t want to simultaneously activate every immune cell at full strength. 

Beneficial MUSHROOMS are immunomodulators:*

• Mushrooms regulate the immune system to support long-term health by maintaining a balanced immune response.* 

HOST DEFENSE® supplements can be used every day to help:

• Augment and regulate the body’s immune system.*
• Provide support for daily environmental stressors.*
• Provide polysaccharides to increase the activity & impact of NK cells and macrophages.* 

We’ve compiled a chart to quickly reference the range of benefits provided by some of the most popular beneficial mushroom species: Agarikon, Chaga, Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Maitake, Reishi, and Turkey Tail:

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

You can purchase Host Defense MyCommunity (17-species mushroom product with broad range immune support) and Turkey Tail in my nutrition supplement shop. 

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What is most concerning about the coronavirus and getting COVID-19 is developing life threatening complications — like pneumonia and extreme difficulty breathing.

But what does gut health have to do with COVID-19 and the respiratory complications?

According to this editorial, “2019 Novel coronavirus infection and gastrointestinal tract,” in Journal of Digestive Diseases:

“In early February [2020], the guidance (version 5) established by the China’s National Health Commission and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine recommended that in the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19 infection, probiotics may be used to maintain the balance of intestinal microecology and prevent secondary bacterial infection.”

In this editorial, the the researchers explain the mechanism of action. They describe how certain receptors (ACE2 receptors) which are abundant in the lining of both the lungs and intestines, are the possible access route for COVID-19.

Part of the function of these receptors is linked to the microbial ecology in the gastrointestinal tract; mutations in these receptors express decreased antimicrobial function and show altered gut microbial composition. This information leads the authors to have the hypothesis that COVID‐19 may, to some extent, be related to the gut microbiota.

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Gut–lung Crosstalk

The authors admit that the connection between the lung and the gastrointestinal tract is not completely understood. However, they explain that what is well known is that the respiratory tract houses its own microbiota, and that patients with respiratory infections generally have gut dysfunction or secondary gut dysfunction complications, which are related to a more severe clinical course of the disease, thus indicating gut–lung crosstalk. They observe that this phenomenon exists in patients with COVID‐19.

Numerous studies have shown that modulating gut microbiota can reduce intestinal inflammation and ventilator‐associated pneumonia, and it can reverse certain side effects of antibiotics to avoid early influenza virus replication in lung epithelia.

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Preliminary, but Hopeful

That said, at this time there is no direct clinical evidence that the modulation of gut microbiota plays the therapeutic role in the treatment of COVID‐19, but they speculate that targeting gut microbiota may be a new therapeutic option or at least an adjuvant therapeutic choice.

“Although no specific antiviral treatment has been recommended to date, we speculate that probiotics may modulate the gut microbiota to alter the gastrointestinal symptoms favorably and may also protect the respiratory system.”

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Gut Microbiome, Essential to Health, In General 

A healthy and diverse ecology of gut microbes is fundamentally essential to good health. In fact, when our gut health and gut barrier are compromised, we also have a higher risk of acute and chronic diseases.

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“Integrative Nutrition: Mushrooms as Medicine”
Today’s Dietitian, March 2020 issue, by Jamie Santa Cruz

I was interviewed for Today’s Dietitian magazine on how I use clinically studied medicinal mushrooms in my nutrition practice. Mushrooms have unique properties that support the immune system. In my practice I use Turkey Tail mushroom supplements with clients who have a strong family history of cancer or who have (or have had) cancer themselves. Below is the article:

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“Do mushrooms’ potentially health-promoting compounds have a place in disease treatment?

Mushrooms have been used as medicine for thousands of years, including in the early Greek, Egyptian, Roman, Chinese, and Mexican civilizations.1 Although medicinal use of mushrooms has only recently begun to take off in the United States, new research suggests that mushrooms indeed may be a potent remedy for a variety of health conditions.

The term “medicinal mushroom” usually refers to more exotic, specialty mushrooms, says Robert Beelman, PhD, a professor emeritus of food science and director of the Center for Plant and Mushroom Foods for Health in the Pennsylvania State University College of Agricultural Sciences. But even the common white button mushroom widely eaten in the United States still has some medicinal value. A medicinal mushroom “is any mushroom that has medicinal properties, and that would be true of all mushrooms,” Beelman says.

Nutrition and Bioactive Components
Although mushrooms often are classified as vegetables for the purpose of dietary recommendations, they’re neither plants nor vegetables, but rather fungi. They’re relatively high in protein, with each 100-g serving of white button mushrooms containing about 3 g protein.1 In addition, mushrooms are an important source of carbohydrates, which compose about one-half of mushroom dry matter. Specifically, mushrooms contain chitin, a form of dietary fiber found in the exoskeletons of insects and crustaceans but not in plants. In addition, mushrooms contain beta-glucans and other polysaccharides, which are bioactive compounds that stimulate the immune system1,2; beta-glucans traditionally have been the primary focus of medicinal interest in mushrooms. Some species of mushrooms are much richer in beta-glucans than others (oyster and enoki contain relatively high amounts; white button and maitake contain much less).1 Mushrooms of all types are low in calories, very low in fat and sodium, and cholesterol-free.

What’s more, mushrooms are high in several key vitamins, including the B vitamins riboflavin (B2) and niacin (B3). They contain only low amounts of vitamin B12, but the form of B12 found in mushrooms appears to be highly bioavailable.1 Unlike plant foods, mushrooms can be a good source of vitamin D if they’re exposed to ultraviolet light.3 Mushrooms also are important sources of various minerals, including potassium, phosphorus, and selenium (the latter of which is an excellent antioxidant).

Finally, mushrooms are important sources of two other bioactive compounds, namely the antioxidants glutathione and ergothioneine.4 Although glutathione can be found in significant amounts in other foods, mushrooms are one of the only significant dietary sources of ergothioneine. According to Beelman, ergothioneine has received significant attention in recent research as a potential key to good health and longevity. “All mammals, including humans, make a genetically coded, highly specific transporter for this molecule,” suggesting an important role in the functioning of the human body, Beelman says. “Red blood cells distribute it around the body, and it tends to accumulate in tissues that are under the most oxidative stress, because it’s an antioxidant. This kind of indicates that the body wants to use [ergothioneine] as a defense against oxidative stress and inflammation.” Porcini, king oyster, maitake, oyster, and shiitake are the mushroom varieties with the highest amounts of ergothioneine; standard white button mushrooms contain much lower quantities.1,5

Medicinal Properties and Health Benefits
According to Solomon P. Wasser, PhD, a professor emeritus in the department of evolutionary and environmental biology at the University of Haifa in Israel, mushrooms and other fungi are thought to possess more than 200 different medicinal functions. They have antitumor, immunomodulating, antioxidant, radical scavenging, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, hepato-protective, and antidiabetic effects, among other qualities. In turn, mushroom consumption is thought to impact the risk of a range of conditions and diseases. “I have changed the English proverb,” Wasser says. “Instead of apples, ‘One mushroom per day keeps the doctor away.’”

Cancer
According to Wasser, some of the best evidence for the benefit of medicinal mushrooms relates to cancer.6 “Medicinal mushrooms are especially important for the prevention and treatment of oncological diseases,” Wasser says. “There are real drugs from medicinal mushrooms—for example, krestin, lentinan, schizophyllan—that are being used especially in Asia (Japan, Korea, China) for treatment in different kinds of cancer. Mushroom compounds are very important as immunomodulators that enhance our immune system.”

Much of the research on mushrooms and cancer has focused on breast cancer. Test tube experiments have isolated specific compounds from different species of mushrooms and have shown that they inhibit breast cancer growth.7,8 In addition, a meta-analysis of 10 different observational studies found that increased mushroom intake was associated in a dose-dependent manner with lower risk of breast cancer in both pre- and postmenopausal women.9

There’s also significant interest in mushrooms as a treatment for liver cancer, especially hepatocellular carcinoma. Test tube experiments as well as studies in mouse models have shown that polysaccharides and other compounds extracted from various species of mushrooms inhibit liver cancer cell proliferation and suppress tumor growth and metastasis, among other beneficial actions.7

Research also suggests that certain kinds of mushrooms may be effective against other types of cancers, including uterine cervical cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, and gastric cancer.7 On a cautionary note, however, a prospective study of two large US cohorts published in 2019 found no association between mushroom consumption and either total cancer incidence or incidence of site-specific cancers, suggesting the need for additional research to tease out the precise impact of specific mushrooms on various cancers in different population groups.10

Cognition and Neurodegenerative Disease
An experiment in mice found that mushrooms enriched with ergocalciferol protected against beta-amyloid peptide toxicity in the brain and against mild cognitive impairment, both of which are precursors to dementia. In human populations, epidemiologic studies in Singapore and Japan have found that mushroom consumption is associated with reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.11,12 Clinical trials are limited, but one small trial in elderly Japanese subjects found that oral administration of lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) mushroom powder helped improve mild cognitive impairment. Preclinical evidence also suggests that mushrooms may offer protection against other neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease.13

According to Beelman, these effects likely are due in part to the high levels of ergothioneine in mushrooms.4 Lower levels of ergothioneine have been associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and Parkinson’s disease.14,15 By contrast, uptake of ergothioneine in the brain appears to decrease oxidative stress, which may reduce symptoms of neurological disease.16

Cardiometabolic Disease
Both preclinical and clinical studies suggest that mushroom consumption may help to protect against obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.17,18 Various studies in test tubes, animal models, and human subjects have suggested that mushrooms can reduce inflammation, cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose, and can block the formation of fatty plaques in the arteries.7,19-27 These effects have been linked to various bioactive compounds in mushrooms, including beta-glucans and other polysaccharides as well as ergothioneine.17,18 Although not a study of mushrooms per se, a large long-term observational study from Sweden published in 2019 found that higher levels of ergothioneine, which is found primarily in mushrooms, were associated with a significantly lower risk of cardiometabolic disease and mortality.28 On the other hand, another 2019 study, this one a large prospective study of more than 100,000 US adults, found no association between mushroom consumption and risk of CVD, stroke, or type 2 diabetes, demonstrating the need for additional research in this area.29

Products on the Market
There’s an array of mushroom-derived dietary supplements on the market. According to Wasser, mushroom supplement options include fruit body powders or fruit body extracts made from either artificially cultivated or naturally grown mushrooms. Other supplements may consist of mushroom spores or of dried and pulverized preparations of mushroom mycellium as well as substrate (the substance in which the mushroom grows). Most of the mushrooms used for production of dietary supplements are commercially grown, not gathered in the wild, to guarantee proper identification and purity of the product, Wasser says.

Supplements are available in a variety of forms, including tablets, hard capsules, soft capsules, tinctures, and granules. Some supplements contain only a single mushroom variety, while others contain a combination. Some of the more common species that appear in supplements are Ganoderma lucidum (lingzhi or reishi), Lentinus edodes (shiitake), Grifola frondosa (maitake), Cordyceps (caterpillar mushrooms), Trametes versicolor (turkey tail), lion’s mane, and Inonotus obliquus (chaga). The proper dosage of each supplement is controversial, Wasser says, and it varies significantly depending on both the form (eg, capsules, tincture) and the formulation. Traditionally, however, the standard daily dose of mushroom biomass is equivalent to 100 to 150 g of fresh mushrooms.

In Wasser’s view, mushroom supplements shouldn’t be viewed as a substitute for modern medicine, but they do hold value for disease prevention and can in some cases be a useful complement to modern medicine. Janet Zarowitz, MS, RD, CDN, a functional nutritionist in Briarcliff Manor [Ossining], New York, agrees. In her view, RDs should consider recommending mushroom-derived supplements both as a foundational support for the immune system in healthy people and as a complementary treatment for disease (especially for individuals with cancer). 

Recommendations for RDs
To evaluate the efficacy of specific mushroom species for a particular therapeutic purpose or to check safety concerns, Zarowitz recommends starting with the Therapeutic Research Center’s Natural Medicines database. When recommending mushroom supplements to cancer patients or for treatment of other specific diseases, she encourages RDs to beware of potential interactions with medications. “I need to see what other treatments the patient is on. I work with the oncologist to make sure it doesn’t compete with a chemotherapy,” Zarowitz says. 

If using fresh mushrooms rather than supplements, cook them. “Mushrooms are a great functional food that can help promote health and be an adjunct therapy for certain diseases, but they must be cooked to get all these benefits,” Zarowitz says. Finally, she adds, “mushrooms can concentrate toxins, so you want to make sure the source is organic.”

Access the full article with references in Today’s Dietitian.

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In this brief video Dr Rountree describes his 4 favorite types of nutrition supplements for immune modulation.
(Note:Links to products on my website are of brands that I recommend, not specifically based on Dr. Rountree’s recommendations.)

NAC – N-acetylcysteine – activates immune cells as well as regulates the immune system so that it’s less likely to contribute to an auto-immune process. NAC is a procursor to glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant.

Probiotic –  helps suppress unhealthy bacteria and promote growth of healthy commensal bacteria

Curcumin (key component of turmeric) – is an immunomodulator and anti-inflammatory herb

Medicinal Mushrooms or Medicinal Yeast – primes immune system to be ready to respond (but not overreact) when infectious agents come along.

I incorporate these foundational products into my practice.

Dr. Robert Rountree is an educator with the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). In his Boulder, Colorado practice, he combines traditional family medicine, nutrition, herbology and mind-body therapies.

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“Fantastic Fungi” is an absolutely engaging movie (with beautiful cinematography) about the amazing benefits of mushrooms. Did you know that mushrooms can do so many things — from helping to clean our environment to empowering our immune systems to saving our declining bee populations!

I’ve studied the health benefits of medicinal mushrooms and used them with clients, especially those with family history of cancer or those going through cancer treatment. It was very validating when the movie told the story of how Turkey Tail mushrooms helped mycologist Paul Stamets’ mother beat Stage 4 breast cancer (in conjunction with chemotherapies).

There’s so much more to learn about mushrooms. Top of my list is to delve into the research about the memory and nerve support benefits of Lions Mane mushrooms!

“Fantastic Fungi,” I highly recommend it! You can view the film trailer.

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