In today's fast-paced world, it’s common to experience low moods from time to time. Life's challenges and uncertainties can weigh us down, affecting our emotional well-being. However, what many people may not realize is that there's a strong connection between our gut and our mood. In this blog, we'll explore the signs of low mood and jump into surprising ways to improve it by taking care of your gut microbiome.
Signs of Low Mood:
It can be easy to get caught up in the day-to-day busyness of life and overlook the signs that you may be struggling mentally. Before we dive into the gut-brain connection, let's identify some common signs of low mood:
- Sadness: Feeling down, sad, or hopeless for an extended period of time.
- Loss of Interest: Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed.
- Fatigue: A constant feeling of tiredness or lack of energy.
- Changes in Sleep Patterns: Maybe you suffer from insomnia or excessive sleeping.
- Appetite Changes: Overeating or loss of appetite.
- Irritability: Increased frustration, impatience, or anger.
- Difficulty Concentrating: Trouble focusing or making decisions.
The Gut-Brain Connection:
Good gut health occurs when you have a balance between good and bad bacteria in your digestive system. In a healthy person, the good and bad bacteria coexist peacefully. Since 80% of your immune system is in the gut, your immune system and hormones won’t function properly if your gut isn't healthy.
A healthy gut has several other important purposes, including helping fight off infection and performing all of its usual digestive and regulatory functions, like absorbing and synthesising nutrients essential to keep your body running at its best.
More recently, scientists have discovered that there is a strong link between your gut and your brain, which can greatly influence your mood and mental health. If the bacteria in your gut is out of balance, it could be contributing to the reason you suffer from low mood.
There are several steps you can take to improve the health of your gut microbiome and in turn your mood. Dietary adjustments, taking probiotics, managing stress and getting a good night's sleep can be a great starting point to getting your gut health in check. Want to know more? Read our detailed blog on caring for your gut here.
Current Studies to advance knowledge:
Do you suffer from low mood? We are currently evaluating the effect of a food supplement on those that suffer from periods of low mood. If you are interested in learning more, click here.
