Mental Health Impact
Patients report feeling mentally unwell after eating foods high in fat, salt, and sugar.
There is a channel of direct and bidirectional biochemical communications between the CNS and GI tract called the “gut-brain axi”.
90% of serotonin in the body is produced by the GI tract
Sugar and fat impact our dopamine and serotonin levels, which experts say is the reason for the “addictive nature” humans have for those kinds of foods.
Solutions
It’s best to focus on healthy eating patterns rather than individual foods. A good example is: whole grains; lots of fruits, vegetables, and legumes; fish; and some nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and nonsalt spices.
Physicians can recommend that patients write down the food they eat, their mood, and lifestyle choices in a diary/journal. For example, if a patient is feeling sad or stressed, they would track the type of foods they’re craving (i.e. sugary things).
Probiotics could help manage mental health because research could come to the conclusion that the changes made to microbiota due to probiotics can have a big influence over neurotransmitter levels.