Pregnant women are said to be “eating for two.” But whether you’re pregnant or not, each time you eat, you’re eating for two (or more) trillion microbes in your gut.

An article in The Washington Post highlights the interrelationship between food and our mood.

Research shows that the microbes in our gut turn the food we eat into enzymes, hormones, vitamins, and nutrients that “influence everything from your mental health and immune system to your likelihood of gaining weight and developing chronic diseases.”

Along with your physical health, microbes affect our mental health “by producing mood-altering neurotransmitters like dopamine, which regulates pleasure, learning and motivation, and serotonin, which plays a role in happiness, appetite and sexual desire. Some recent studies suggest that the composition of your gut microbiome can even play a role in how well you sleep.”

Given the importance of your gut microbiome, what should we feed it? A study of 1,100 people in the United States and Britain by a team of researchers from Stanford, Harvard, and King’s College London made some key discoveries which they published in Nature Medicine.

“Good” microbes, which protect people from cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes, thrive on fiber and variety in your diet. So even if you’re already eating healthy fruits and vegetables, experts suggest mixing them up and adding herbs and spices.

In contrast, “bad” microbes, which lead to inflammation, heart disease, and poor metabolic health, flourish on a diet of “highly processed foods that are low in fiber and high in additives such as sugar, salt and artificial ingredients” such as “soft drinks, white bread, pasta, processed meats, and packaged snacks like cookies, candy bars, and potato chips.”

According to UC Davis professor Maria Marco, fermented foods, such as yogurt, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, and sauerkraut also boost the diversity of the gut microbiome, which leads to good health.

To learn more about the science of eating well to promote your physical and mental well-being, read the full article here.

O’Connor, Anahad. “The best foods to feed your gut microbiome.” The Washington Post, 20 Sept 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/09/20/gut-health-microbiome-best-foods/.

Photo by Jacopo Maia on Unsplash