The Mind-Gut Connection
Mood health often reflects how well we can (or can’t choose) what we feel and what we do. If a bad day, a bad moment, a bad week, makes it harder and harder to feel better, sleep better, eat better, that might be a clue that something is off with our mood state.
“I don’t want to flip out, but I couldn’t help it.”
”Everything, and everyone, is driving me crazy.”
”I know I need to relax (calm down, chill), but I just can’t.”
Sound familiar? Here’s where to start.
First, give some attention to that feeling that has you realizing something is off. (Even if it takes some courageous person willing to tell you a hard truth: like, you kinda suck to be around at the moment). Doing that swings the door is wide open to turning things around, including healing alternatives you might want to try yourself. And it is your right to be in the driver’s seat for your own self-care.
Herbal medicine provides a holistic, integrated approach to mood health. Dealing with anxiety, mild depression, grief, and even the odd adult-sized tantrum (teenage- and kid-sized tantrums too).
Any health imbalance requires a close look at our life and lifestyle:
What we eat | How well we eliminate
What we do | How well we rest
How we socialize | How we connect spiritually
That’s the Rihla Wellness focus. Real, practical steps focused on powerful small steps that you can start immediately. What’s incredible is that research now also shows the difference these steps can make in how we feel. It starts with our gut microbiome, and herbs have an important role to play. When we target making healthy shifts in our diet & elimination, activity & rest, and social & spiritual connection, we make clear improvements in our health.
Each of these 6 factors influences the health of our gut microbiome, even spiritual practice. An unhealthy gut microbiome has been linked to a range of mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety (Cryan & Dinan, 2012). That’s why it’s important to prioritize habits that promote a healthy microbiome and maintain awareness of what can throw it out of balance. The research is clear about this: Chronic stress has been shown to negatively impact the gut microbiome, leading to an imbalance in the composition and function of gut bacteria (Bailey et al., 2011).
Because of the heightened inflammation that frequently accompanies stress, the wrong kinds of bacteria start to flourish, throwing our microbiome out of balance and, literally, getting in the way of feeling better.
Stress and depression can increase gut barrier permeability. The result, a ‘leaky gut,’ allows bacteria to seep into circulation, producing an inflammatory response. Unhealthy gut imbalance contributes to chronic inflammation in people with irritable bowel syndrome and mood disorders (Farzi, et al., 2018).
So, if stress is throwing us out of balance, we can’t ignore it. We have to target it. And there’s a lot of ways to do that, starting with nutrition and food. Studies suggest that rebalancing the gut microbiota through food and lifestyle is a promising therapeutic strategy (Madison & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2019).
Holistic Stress Management Starts in the Gut
Nutrition plays a crucial role in managing chronic stress and in supporting a healthy gut microbiome. Diet determines which bacteria will thrive in the gut, and the gut bacteria in turn aid digestion. Although long-term diets form the gut community’s structure, dietary modification can produce detectible shifts in some bacterial species within 24 hours. (Madison & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2019). Several studies have shown that diets that modify the microbiota, prebiotics, and probiotics can reduced stress-related behavior and HPA activation (Foster et al, 2017)
There are quite a few health-boosting reasons to focus on what we eat. A diet rich in whole, nutrient-dense foods, contains everything needed for the body to effectively manage stress and regulate cortisol levels. It can also promote the right mix of microorganisms in the gut to help us respond better and bounce back better when we do get stressed. And here’s another benefit to increasing the beneficial foods over the ultra-processed, devitalized ones: Eating a diet rich in fiber and low in saturated fats promotes a healthy microbiome (Madison & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2019). In short, the evidence is clear that stress affects what you eat and how you feel and function and how you feel and function affects what you eat and how you handle stress.
Food to Help Your Gut and Your Stress Level
What foods and herbal practices benefit both our gut microbiome and adrenal health? ..plant protein, unsaturated fats, and fiber support a pro-health gut microbiota — in contrast to excessive consumption of animal protein, saturated fats, and simple or artificial sugars…(Madison & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2019), it’s also going to improve how you handle stress.
Everyday, eat a diverse, plant-based diet that includes vegetables, fruits, beans & lentils, whole grains, seeds, and nuts plus probiotics plus the occasional animal product (like meat, fish, eggs and poultry) will give your body what it needs. The kinds of foods that make up this way of eating include:
VEGETABLES
-Dark, leafy greens like kale, collards, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, chard, dark green lettuces like romaine
-Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage
-Root vegetables like beets, carrots, and potatoes
-Inulin-rich vegetables like asparagus, chicory root, garlic, leek, onions, green beans and jerusalem artichokes
-Other vegetables like okra, squash (all kinds including calabash), mushrooms, bell peppers, yams, sweet potatoes, plantains
-And so many more
FRUITS
-Anthocyanin-rich fruits like blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, plums, watermelon, elderberries, grapes
-Inulin-rich fruits like bananas, mangoes
-Pectin-rich fruits like apples, apricots, nectarines pears, oranges, peaches, citruses (grapefruits, lemons, oranges, limes), cranberries, gooseberries (amla), quinces,
-Other fruits, like pineapples, guavas; and dried fruits like figs, raisins, and dates
BEANS & LENTILS
-Fiber-rich varieties like chick peas, fava beans, dried split peas, mung beas, red lentils, and so many other varieties
WHOLE GRAINS
-Nutrient-rich whole grains like barley, wheat berries, oat groats, fonio, quinoa, brown rice, teff, and many others
SEEDS
-Omega-3 rich seeds like chia, flax, pumpkin, sesame, hemp, and many others
NUTS
-Nutrient-rich nuts like almond, walnut, cashews, pecans, and many others
PROBIOTICS
-Real fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, injera, dosas, sinisir, rejuvelac, raw apple cider vinegar
All of these can be made into great dishes on their own, or paired with small quantities of animal products.
Everyday, this is how to build your meals. Make sure your food choices are minimally processed, too.
The powerhouse foods for gut health contain soluble fiber, so bring oats, apples, bananas, lentils, okra, marshmallow leaves, and lentils, chickpeas, beans, leeks, garlic, onions, green beans, and asparagus onto your plate. Another study found that a diet high in carotenoids, another type of phytochemical, was associated with a reduced risk of anxiety and improved stress management (Steptoe et al., 2013). Another study mentions high levels of dietary fiber, specifically from whole grains, can help regulate cortisol levels and decrease stress responses.(Epel, McEwen, et al, 2000). A study published in the journal Nutrition found that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and fish can improve stress and reduce the risk of developing depression (Kim & Baik, 2015). A diet rich in whole, nutrient-dense foods can help to mitigate the negative effects of stress on the body and reduce the risk of stress-related health problems. By working to balance out elevated cortisol levels, we are also working to improve the health of the gut microbiome. But there’s even more we can do to support it.
So, what can herbs bring to the picture?
One study found that a diet rich in flavonoids, a type of plant compound found in fruits and vegetables, was associated with a reduced risk of depression and improved mood regulation (Sánchez-Villegas et al., 2009). And, flavonoids like anthocyanins, found in green tea, chamomile, and turmeric, parsley, celery, may help regulate cortisol levels and reduce the effects of stress.
Herbal sources of beneficial phytochemicals that support healthy cortisol function include:
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Rhodiola rosea (R. rosea)
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
Ginseng (Panax)
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
Schisandra berry Schisandra chinensis)
Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)
Goji basil (Lycium barbarum)
White oak bark
Barberry root
Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum)
Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
Connecting What We Eat to How We Feel
While we’re working on our gut health, we can also target our moods too. Studies have shown that the gut microbiome can produce a number of neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Research has shown that changes in the gut microbiome can alter neurotransmitter levels and disrupt normal neurotransmitter function. For example, a study published in the journal "Psychology Today" found that individuals with depression had an altered gut microbiome compared to healthy individuals, and that restoring the gut microbiome to a healthy state was associated with improved mood and reduced symptoms of depression.
That’s why, we’re seeing nutrition take a bigger role in mood and mental health. Adequate intake of essential nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and minerals such as iron and magnesium, is linked to improved mood and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety (Jacka, O’Neil, et al, 2017). So along with the foods that support a healthy gut microbiome, we can include the foods that nourish our nervous system.
In a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers found that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish was associated with a lower risk of depression, while a diet high in processed and junk foods was associated with an increased risk of depression (Jacka, Pasco, et al, 2010). What’s fascinating in all this research is the damage caused by inflammation. Inflammation elevates risk for depression, and many studies have found that a plant-based diet provides anti-inflammatory benefits. Mounting evidence suggests that these anti-inflammatory effects are mediated by the microbiome.
Along with the foods to eat for a healthy gut microbiome, let’s consider some of the foods that boost our moods. Berries, dried fruits, and, according to Islamic herbal medicine, specific foods recommended in times of grief such as calabash, barley, and quince all have benefits (Encyclopedia of Islamic Herbal Medicine).
So the last piece to address is the support that herbs can offer us for better mood health. Here the research points to many kinds of natural plant compounds like flavonoids and carotenoids to provide precursors to neurotransmitters or assist in their production. For example, one study found that a diet rich in flavonoids, a type of phytochemical found in fruits and vegetables, was associated with a reduced risk of depression and improved mood regulation (Sánchez-Villegas et al., 2009). Another study found that a diet high in carotenoids was associated with a reduced risk of anxiety and improved stress management (Steptoe et al., 2013). These compounds are easily available through herbs and herbal medicine. Just about all the primary parts of plants provide some mood-boosting benefit for us: the flowers, leaves, roots.
Here’s a list of herbs Rihla Wellness regular works with for mood health with that we’ve seen offering regular, consistent results.
Mood-supporting florals to support the regulation of neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA:
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
Linden (Tillea spp.)
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
Rose (Rosa spp.)
Flavonoid-rich herbs to also support mood health:
Green tea (Camellia sinensis)
Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa)
Scullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
Some of these herbs are know to interact with certain medications so you if are interested in any of these herbs mentioned here, work with your physician and a qualified natural health practitioner.
There’s a lot of great reasons to focus on getting your gut healthy so that its microbiome can work wonders on your mood health and get you feeling better.
Mood Health Frequently Asked Questions
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Herbs like kava kava, passionflower, and skullcap are some of the medical plants traditionally used by herbalists to support mood health. These can be paired with adaptogen herbs like ginseng or ashwaganda, for even more support.
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Herbs like linden, mimosa, saffron, and St. John’s Wort are some of the medical plants traditionally used by herbalists to support mood health. These can be paired with tonic herbs like sage and oatstraw for even more support.
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Herbs like chamomile, lavender, and rose are some of the medical plants traditionally used by herbalists to support mood health. These can be paired with tonic herbs like green tea and gingko for even more support.