General Wellbeing

I wrote about some of the benefits of eating ‘cleaner’ food in the Gut Health blog and the Immune System blog looks at the inflammation reducing properties of the ingredients we use in our products. Another great benefit of our organic ingredients is what they don’t contain – that they are fungicide and pesticide free.

Fungicides are really bad news. Chemical substances designed to stop fungi growing on crops, when they are sprayed on vegetables they leave a residue that can harm us when we ingest it (1). Pesticides can also leave a residue and these chemicals can harm everything they touch, not just the pests and fungi they are designed to control. We’ve all heard about what’s happened to honeybee populations and it goes much further. They harm the environment, natural biodiversity, pollinators, food chains and create health issues. Ingestion has been linked to immune system disorders, serious carcinogenic, endocrinal, neurological, reproductive issues and other ailments (2).

Pesticides and fungicides can also have a serious negative impact on gut health – and did you know just how big an impact good gut health can have on your mental health and well-being?

The ‘second brain’ in our stomachs – the one that gives us nervous butterflies or makes us feel physically sick when something bad happens – is actually a nervous system known as the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) The ENS is made up of two thin layers of nerve cells – more than 100 million of them – that line our gastrointestinal tract all the way from the oesophagus to the rectum (3). In basic terms the ENS controls our digestion and, while it doesn’t actually think, it communicates with our big brain and can trigger mood changes. What happens in our stomachs can significantly affect how we feel.

This is yet another reason why it’s so important to help maintain good gut health through eating cleaner food. Here are just some of the ways good gut health can impact our mental health:

1. Microbiota-Brain Communication: The gut and the brain are connected through the gut-brain axis, a communication system that goes both ways. A healthy gut microbiota can influence the brain and vice versa, impacting mood and mental function (4).
2. Neurotransmitter Production: The gut microbiota is involved in the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), crucial in regulating mood and emotions and in making us happy (5).
   Inflammation Regulation: A healthy gut helps regulate inflammation and inflammation has been directly linked to mental health disorders (6).
3. Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production: Gut bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids which have been linked to anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, which have a positive impact on mental health (7).
   Vitamin Synthesis: Some gut bacteria are involved in the synthesis of certain vitamins, such as B vitamins and vitamin K. These vitamins play essential roles in brain function and mental health (8).
4. Stress Response Regulation: A balanced gut microbiota can help regulate the stress response system, helping mental resilience (9).
5. Immune System Modulation: A well-balanced gut microbiome helps modulate the immune response, preventing chronic inflammation and potential impacts on mental health (10).
6. Digestive Health: A healthy gut ensures proper digestion and absorption of nutrients, including those crucial for brain function. Nutrient deficiencies can also negatively affect mental wellbeing (11).
7. Impact on Neurological Disorders: Dysbiosis, an imbalance in the gut microbiota, has been associated with certain neurological disorders. Maintaining a healthy gut may contribute to the prevention or management of such disorders, indirectly supporting mental health (12).
8. Reduced Risk of Mental Health Conditions: Numerous studies suggest that there is a lower risk of anxiety and depression when a diverse and balanced gut microbiome is present (13).

References:

1. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-54719-6_8
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1532045620300892
3. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection
4. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-020-00460-0
5. Influence of Gut Microbiota on Mental Health via Neurotransmitters: A Review
6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889159118311966
7. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.00906/full
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027858462030556X
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959438819301382
10. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/10/1587
11. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10482-020-01474-7
12. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996122000870
13. Gut Microbiome and Depression: How Microbes Affect the Way We Think