10 Ways to Cultivate Good Gut Bacteria and Reduce Depression

In this study published in the journal Neuroscience, the performance of mice on various tests of mental and physical function began to drop just four weeks after being fed a diet high in fat and sugar. Monosaccharides, the simplest carbohydrates containing a single molecule of glucose and fructose (a piece of Wonder bread), disrupt a healthy microbial balance because they are digested very easily by us and absorbed into our small intestine without any help from our microbes. That leaves our gut bugs hungry, with nothing to munch on, so they begin nibbling on the mucus lining of our intestines, which is meant to be a strong barrier between the gut and the rest of the body. When the wall of the intestine is permeated, particles of food enter the bloodstream, and our immune system alerts our brain and other organs to the attack, causing inflammation in various parts of our body. Sugar also feeds organisms like Candida Albican, a kind of fungus that grows in the gut and attacks the intestine wall. These stringy-looking dudes need carbon-based compounds (sugars) to multiply like Gremlins, and when they do, people will start asking you if you’re pregnant — and you’ll feel like you need to up your antidepressant dose. 2. Eat More Plants and Dietary Fiber Almost every gut expert I’ve read says that changing our diet is the best and most direct route we have for transforming our gut bacteria. They differ on whether or not to include fruits or grains (David Perlmutte...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Alternative and Nutritional Supplements Books Depression Mental Health and Wellness Personal Research Alcohol Caffeine Diet gut bacteria Gut flora Lactobacillus leaky gut Monosaccharides Probiotic sugar Source Type: blogs