If you’ve ever struggled with constipation, you know just how uncomfortable and frustrating it can be to be so “full of it” yet unable to relieve yourself. As it turns out, the effect isn’t just physical, it’s mental too, as a new study has shown a strong link between mood and digestive health.
- How good does it feel to drop a load? Pardon the expression, but you know what I mean. How good does it feel to head to the toilet and fully relieve yourself? You come out feeling lighter not just physically but mentally and emotionally too, right? I know I do!
- A study by the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston has unveiled some interesting findings. Researchers delved into the link between chronic diarrhea and constipation and mental health issues like depression, with lead author Sarah Ballou finding that digestive issues are “much more prevalent” in depressed people. “Our findings provide support for the relationship between mood and specific bowel habits,” she added.
- It’s all about serotonin. Given that 90% of our serotonin levels are produced in the gut, it makes sense that when our digestive system is off-kilter, our mood would be too. Serotonin is the hormone that affects our mood, making us feel happy and well. Without it, our mood can seriously plummet.
- Is the effect really that strong? If you ask Dr. Gill Hart, a biochemist and scientific director of food intolerance testing at YorkTest Laboratories, the answer is a resounding yes. “If you are experiencing irregular bowel activity, you could indeed also encounter low mood and there are studies that back this. The gut is home to hundreds of trillions of microorganisms that form part of the gut-microbiome-brain-axis,” he explained, according to Unilad. “Mood states have been linked with the composition of the microbiome in mentally and physically healthy adults. If your gut is unhappy, it’s likely to affect your overall well-being too, both physically and mentally.”
- When you see someone in a bad mood, they could be experiencing digestive issues. Steven Horne, former president of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG), said that someone who seems extremely cranky may not be entirely at fault for their bad attitude and in fact, they “could actually be constipated” or “at least have serious issues with the health of their intestinal tract.” This is all down to our “gut brain” and the neurotransmitters it produces, which directly affect our mood. All the more reason to get eating more fermented foods and ensure our gut health is in order!
