Global Health Asia-Pacific July 2020 July 2020 | Page 72

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Depression: The gut brain connection
When your gut and brain become inflamed, you can get caught
in a challenging cycle. There’s less serotonin forming in your gut
and brain, which means your gut now becomes less regular, so
your bacteria levels increase. This further reduces serotonin and
affects your mood.
And your mood affects what you eat. �o, you potentially reach
out for a sweet pick-me-up or other forms of �comfort’ food,
which turn not to be so comforting after all because they increase
inflammation.
As if that’s not enough, as serotonin is necessary for the
creation of melatonin, you may struggle to sleep. Insufficient sleep
causes more inflammation, and so the cycle continues.
Many people believe that depression is caused by chemical
imbalances in the brain, and in particular, a deficiency
in serotonin – our ‘feel good hormone’. The textbook
medicine approach is to prescribe antidepressant to increase brain
serotonin. This works for some people; but it does nothing for
others.
Why� �ecause � as multiple studies confirm � depression is
not always in your head. Depression can be caused for multiple
reasons including, but not limited to, early life physical and mental
abuse, loneliness, chronic stress, lifestyle factors, nutritional
deficiencies like Omega 3 oils and Vitamin D, and inflammation.
In fact, in recent years, scientists have proven the significant
and undeniable link between inflammation and depression.
Inflammation is our immune system’s response to infections and
physical trauma, but it can also be aggravated by dietary and
metabolic factors. Research now confirms that people with high
degrees of inflammation do not respond to conventional antidepressants.
How inflammation depresses serotonin
Your body and brain have a natural ability to take tryptophan – an
amino acid in foods like turkey, chicken, fish, eggs, lentils, nuts,
cheese and yogurt – and convert it into serotonin. But this ability is
hindered by inflammation that can be caused by:
� An imbalance in the good and bad bacteria in your gut (gut
dysbiosis)
� Coeliac and gut malabsorption from Crohns and other
inflammatory bowel disease
� �ost food-poisoning and other bacterial overgrowth situations in
the gut
� �ow-grade gut infections, such as bacterial overgrowth in the
small intestine (�I�O)
� Chronic bacterial or viral infections
� PMS and menopause
� Exposure to mould and fungus
� Food intolerances
� �ro-inflammatory diets, especially those high in sugar, starches
or carbohydrates
Breaking the cycle
There are many lifestyle tweaks that can help to break the
cycle – exercise, improved sleep hygiene, and more – but when
you’re struggling with depression, it can be incredibly hard to
implement these tweaks. What we can do is start with your gut.
Depending on your unique gut-brain challenges, the following
may help:
Identifying food intolerances
If you do not respond to antidepressant medication or
naturopathic supplements. It could be that gluten is causing
gut and brain inflammation. Try removing gluten from your diet
and see if you feel a positive shift in your mental and emotional
wellbeing.
Taking anti-microbial herbs
Many people with mild depression, anxiety, insomnia, and
chronic fatigue experience gas, bloating, abdominal pain and
irregular bowel motions. A course of anti-microbial herbs can
help to clear gut inflammation and the mental health symptoms.
Supporting your immune system
If you are experiencing chronic fatigue, inflammation, and
symptoms of depression � it could be the after-effects of a
chronic viral infection. A high dose of Vitamin C and D3, and
immune support like herbal and Ayurveda remedies help to
remove the pro-inflammatory effects of the virus, boost his
energy and improve mental wellbeing.
�upplementing to overcome deficiencies Omega 3 oils can
safely reduce inflammation and increase mental wellbeing. Vitamin
D3, which is usually found to be low in people these days, is also
an anti-inflammatory and antidepressant. �acked by research,
a high dose of Omega 3s and Vitamin D3 can have a significant
impact on mental health, mood and sleep.
To ensure that you are addressing every contributing factor,
as well as the degree and severity of your mental health,
your treatment plan should include natural treatments and
complementary therapies, such as lifestyle and dietary changes;
naturopathic supplements, personalised herbs, probiotics; and
mental health support.
Veena Dansinghani is the Founder & Director of Naveda Integral
Wellness Centre, Hong Kong – Alopecia, Hair Loss & Nutrition
Specialist
70 JULY 2020 GlobalHealthAndTravel.com