How does happiness arise? How exactly does joy come about? There are many answers to this question. Our mood is influenced and changed by a variety of external factors. Mood is fundamentally something very volatile and unpredictable, as it changes more or less, positively or negatively. Whether it’s the weather, the work environment, family and friends, lifestyle, health, relationships, etc. (this list could go on endlessly). What is important, however, is that all these things can influence and change our mood. The mood we bring to the day depends on a variety of variables and influences. The most important mood-influencing aspect of this list is, however, the food we consume daily. It has long been known that our diet affects our mood—our food significantly influences our mood, whether positively or negatively.
What has now come into the focus of science is the connection between our diet and our gut microbiome, or more precisely, the microbes in our gut and our mental health. Various studies have proven that, for example, dysbiosis (an imbalance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in the gut) can contribute to various mental illnesses and thus lead to poor mood, anxiety, and even depression.
This means, conversely, that when eating, we should not only pay attention to what makes our taste buds happiest. Rather, we should also keep the health of our gut microbiome in mind and thus satisfy the trillions of microbes inside us! And why exactly is that? What we eat can positively and at the same time negatively influence the relationship we have with our little microbes inside us. This means that the food we consume every day can influence, shape, and change this relationship.
You can think of it this way: Your microbes are your partner (like in a human relationship)—aren’t you happier when your partner is happy? So the rule is—happy gut, happy mood!
Basically, our gut is a major part of who we are and also has a big influence on how we feel. Why exactly this is so, you will find out now!
Neurotransmitters – Feelings of Happiness Produced by Microbes
The microbes in our gut have a whole range of impressive abilities. They help us digest our food and thus ensure the optimal absorption of nutrients into our body—provided they are healthy. They also act like tiny bodyguards inside us, as they can even neutralize or kill various pathogens—disease-causing agents! But that’s not all, because different microbes can produce various vitamins and also neurotransmitters like serotonin or dopamine. It is suspected, by the way, that around 90% of the happiness hormone serotonin is produced in our gut! This impressive figure alone shows how closely our mood is intertwined with our gut health, doesn’t it?
The neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is responsible for reducing anxiety and stress and also has positive effects on our night’s sleep, is also produced in our gut. Recent studies show that consuming probiotic, fermented whole foods can even help alleviate anxiety symptoms. This shows us even more that we can have a big impact on our mood through our diet and should do our best to provide the trillions of little microbes in our gut with the best nutrients possible.
Leaky Gut & Lethargy
What exactly is a leaky gut? Our gut is lined on the inside with a protective barrier. When this works properly, it keeps pathogens, bacteria, and toxins from entering our bloodstream. If this is not the case, the intestinal mucosa usually has cracks or holes—allowing intruders to easily enter our bloodstream and wreak havoc there. This, in turn, can trigger inflammation and changes in the gut flora, which can lead to problems within the digestive tract and beyond. These inflammations can also cause symptoms such as headaches and lethargy, that is, mental sluggishness or excessive sleepiness.
Conversely, this means that a gut that is out of balance can negatively affect your mood. But what can you do to bring your gut back into balance? Probiotics are, of course, a good start, as they supply your gut with many little helpers that actively restore your gut microbiome. A good example of this is our Dailybacs®—with them, you consume 60 billion “good” gut bacteria daily and actively support the health of your microbiome! As a perfect complement, we have also developed the Mood Up Addons, which elevate your mood to the next level through natural ingredients like ashwagandha and saffron.
Stress and the Gut
You can imagine our gut as a beautiful garden of various organisms and plants that can only thrive in balance and with loving care. If neglected, weeds sense their chance and spread quickly and uncontrollably. The beautiful flowers and herbs are then displaced by the weeds. Our “garden” in the gut hosts a great diversity of thousands of different species and strains of bacteria. When our gut is balanced, it influences our well-being on many levels. If this is not the case, health problems can arise, which in turn can negatively affect our mood.
However, there is a fairly simple way to influence our gut health and thus the bacterial composition of our microbiome. This is possible on the one hand through a healthy, fiber-rich diet, and on the other hand through a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Through the so-called gut-brain axis, the gut actively communicates with the brain. This connection shows that the gut is negatively affected by stress on the one hand. On the other hand, it also shows that an “unhappy,” unbalanced gut can lead to stress for the whole body.
For this exact reason, it is extremely important to deal with stress management to protect the body sustainably. There are many options for this—be it meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, or a walk. Do what feels best for you and promises relaxation even in tense situations. Because regular exercise and nutrient-rich nutrition have been proven to contribute to improved microbial diversity and thus elevate your mood to the next level! You can learn more about gut health and your mood here!
Microbes & Mood
We have already clarified in this blog post that your gut health can influence your brain and your mood, which can result in anxiety and stress reactions in the body. One point that should of course not be overlooked is that gut health also affects digestion and can positively or negatively change it! If the population of “bad” gut bacteria in your microbiome is too large, there is not only the risk of unpleasant symptoms like diarrhea or constipation. It can also lead to your body absorbing nutrients and vitamins less effectively. And exactly this can lead to various deficiencies in different vitamins and minerals. Especially vitamin B12 and vitamin D can be absorbed less well by a compromised gut—they are also important nutrients for mood and energy levels. For this exact reason, they are included in our Mood Up AddOns to elevate your mood to the next level! Because if the levels of these nutrients in your body are low, this can often lead to symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, and tension!
Ups and Downs of Blood Sugar
It is well known that fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect mood and also cause fatigue, irritability, headaches, concentration difficulties, and energy drops. Of course, there are many factors that influence blood sugar balance, but our gut bacteria also play a not insignificant role here. If our microbiome is out of balance, it can be difficult for the body to keep blood sugar levels steady. And what exactly can you do to keep your blood sugar balanced? A healthy, balanced microbiome helps with this. You can easily support it by reducing refined sugar and highly processed foods. Also, you should replace simple carbohydrates with whole grain products.
We hope we were able to give you an interesting insight into the symbiosis of gut and mood and leave you with our well-known motto:
Happy Gut, Happy You!
