You are what you eat...

TikTok is often a key indicator of what’s hot and trending in the world of health and well-being, and whilst some of those trends are quite frankly a bit bonkers… (Sunscreen contouring anyone?!) Others are backed up by genuine science. Recently we have noticed an increased  amount of content around gut health, and more specifically how a lot of the answers to complex health issues can be found hidden in our gut.  I meaaaan how fascinating!

So this week we decided to dig a little deeper into the relationship between our heads and our bellies! Here are our key learnings;

 According to the National Institutes of Health, digestive disorders affect 60 to 70 million people in the United States. Which of course has increased the cost of gastrointestinal (GI) healthcare up to $120 billion in 2018 with an expectation to reach $3 billion by 2029! Pricey right?! But, beyond just digestive issues, targeting the “gut-brain axis” could have a major impact on mental health, including our thoughts, emotions, and actions.

Other recent studies compiled a strong correlation between metabolic health and mental illness. They have found a relationship between depression and specific bacteria levels in the gut, and dietary interventions have been found to be an “efficacious and accessible” treatment for major depressive disorder. Poor gut health also affects various conditions, including anxiety, immune response, and dementia, basically poor gut health + bad health!

Scary right? But here’s how we can fix it:

Naturally what we eat directly affects the bacteria in our gut and a subset of this bacteria is what impacts our brain through signalling pathways. So this means we can now treat mental health disorders using dietary interventions! Dr Shebani  Sethi and his team found that nutritional metabolic therapy can serve as a significant medical intervention for mental illness, one that can change the structure and function of the brain.

From what we have read, the future of personalised nutrition sounds like it definitely will be on the rise as our understanding of metabolic psychiatry grows, the saying “you are what you eat” takes on a new meaning. Expect to see a lot more supplements, meal kits, and coaches specifically geared towards gut health because more and more companies are targeting mental health, rather than just weight loss.

Team Sudor