“Discover the Surprising Connection Between Your Gut and Brain Health”

Trusting your intuition or “gut feeling” is a common phrase, but research has established a strong link between the gut’s health and the brain, which can affect emotions and cognitive function. That’s why it’s crucial to prioritize gut and brain health to make informed decisions.

Two studies conducted by Elaine Hsiao at the California Institute of Technology and Kirsten Tillisch at UCLA, respectively, have shown that the microorganisms in our stomach can influence our behavior, mental outlook, and brain function. Hsiao’s research suggests eating unhealthy or healthy microorganisms in the stomach can affect our behavior differently. At the same time, Tillisch’s study indicates that probiotics can positively impact our overall well-being.

According to Richard Purvis, author of Recalibrate: Six Secrets To Resetting Your Age and CEO of Skin Moderne Inc. (www.skinmoderne.com), scientists have recently discovered that humans have two brains. The second brain, called the enteric nervous system, resides in the gut and has more neurons than the spinal column or central nervous system. Understanding the relationship between the gut and the brain can help clarify why taking care of the gut also helps improve the brain’s health in your head.

Maintaining good gut health is of utmost importance,

Considering the unhealthy eating habits of Americans, according to Purvis. A study conducted by Tufts University reveals that unhealthy eating habits result in over 318,000 deaths annually, which accounts for nearly half of the total deaths caused by heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in the United States.

According to Purvis, processed foods and sugar are the major contributors to the proliferation of harmful bacteria in the gut. Therefore, treating our gut kindly daily can significantly enhance our gut health, leading to better brain health.

Purvis recommends four nutritional tips – and a nature trip – that benefit your gut and your brain:

Daily servings of cultured, fermented, probiotic-rich foods. “Sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha pickled veggies, yogurt, and kefir encourage the growth of good bacteria,” Purvis says. “By ingesting healthy, probiotic-rich foods, you are guaranteed colony-forming units of bacteria, plus food sources are much cheaper than supplements.

Prebiotic foods

Non-digestible short-chain fatty acids help your good bacteria flourish, says Purvis. These are found in artichokes, garlic, leeks, dandelion greens, beans, oats, onions, and asparagus.

A diet that keeps blood sugar balanced

“This also keeps gut bacteria balanced,” Purvis says. “A diet high in rich sources of fiber, especially derived from whole fruits and vegetables, feeds the good gut bacteria and produces the right balance of these short-chain fatty acids to keep the gut lining in check.”

Gluten reduction

 Purvis says reducing or avoiding gluten will improve gut health and healthy brain physiology. He agrees with medical professionals who say gluten can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, hurting digestion and sometimes leading to a “leaky gut,” or damaged intestine walls.    

Getting outside and into nature

 “You need to connect with more microorganisms – the more, the merrier,” Purvis says. “Their purpose is to perform life-sustaining functions. Move outside, do some gardening, plant flowers, mow the lawn, take a walk in the woods. Do things that connect you and your immune system with all the microorganisms in the soil.” 

“Lifestyle choice is considered by most the culprit contributing to our unhealthy bacteria,” Purvis says. “So you have a choice, and the one you make with your diet will affect your whole body, and not least of all, your brain.”

About Richard Purvis

Richard Purvis is the CEO of Skin Moderne Inc. (www.skinmoderne.com) and author of Recalibrate: Six Secrets to Resetting Your Age. He has more than 30 years of experience in nutrition, exercise, anti-aging, and overall wellness. Along with starting Skin Moderne, he founded wellness companies Nutrimax, Nutritbrands, and Skin Nutrition and co-founded Noggin Nosh.

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