The Gut/Brain Axis: Understanding How Gut Health Shapes Mood, Behavior, and Focus

The Gut/Brain Axis: Understanding How Gut Health Shapes Mood, Behavior, and Focus

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Transcript:

Gut imbalances can show up in ways you might not expect, like hyperactivity, mood swings, developmental delays, and even anxiety or depression. There is fascinating science around the gut/brain axis and how your thoughts and emotions affect your gut health and how this goes both ways. How your gut health also influences your thoughts and emotions. 

Today we’re diving into the connection between your gut and your brain - a relationship called the gut/brain axis. Get ready because knowing this information will forever change the way you mother, the way you love yourself and the way you live the rest of your life. 

The gut and brain are in constant communication through a complex network that involves nerves, hormones, and immune signals. One of the most important players in this connection is the vagus nerve, a long nerve that runs from your brain to your gut, acting like a highway that sends signals back and forth. This is known as the gut/brain axis. 

When there’s a disruption in the gut - whether it’s due to bad bacteria, yeast overgrowth, parasites or not enough beneficial bacteria - it affects the signals being sent to your brain. This is why an imbalanced gut doesn’t just show up as digestive issues. It can affect everything from focus and memory to mood and behavior.

One of the clearest ways we see this gut-brain connection is in children who experience hyperactivity, developmental delays, or behavioral issues. When the gut is imbalanced, harmful bacteria or yeast produce toxins called lipopolysaccharides (LPS). These toxins can pass through the gut lining, enter the bloodstream, and cause inflammation throughout the body, including the brain.

This inflammation disrupts the production and function of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine - chemicals that regulate your mood, focus, and impulse control. These neurotransmitters act in the brain but many, including up to 90% of serotonin, are actually produced in the gut. When the gut is out of balance, it is unable to produce optimal amounts of these important neurotransmitters, the brain receives less than it needs AND it receives inflammatory signals. All of which lead to issues like hyperactivity, difficulty focusing, behavioral issues, developmental delays and sensory processing issues. This gut-brain communication breakdown throws everything off balance.

Studies have even shown that children with conditions like ADHD and autism have distinct differences in their gut microbiome compared to neurotypical children. This speaks to the importance of prioritizing our gut health. 

By the way - all of the studies mentioned are linked at the bottom of this transcript.

It’s not just children who are affected by the gut/brain connection though. As adults, we are just as susceptible to imbalance which often leads to mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, brain fog, and sleep issues. This happens because again, the gut is responsible for producing the majority of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that stabilizes our mood and promotes feelings of happiness and well-being. So when the gut isn’t functioning properly, it can severely impact your mental and emotional state. Not to mention how imbalances impact your hormones which of course impacts your natural mood regulation. 

I first handedly experienced not having any reason to ever know my gut was anything but perfectly healthy. I have never experienced any digestive issues but when I was 16 I had a clinical evaluation done and was diagnosed with ADHD. It was the first time in my life that I was told something was 'wrong' with me—and that the only way to 'fix' it was with medication.

Like so many, I was prescribed Adderall and sent on my way. At 16 years old, I was handed a stimulant drug that is insanely similar to methamphetamine. I took one pill, expecting the 'regulated calm and focus' I had been told would come. Instead, it felt like I needed to run away from myself—so I did. I ran 15 miles that night. I couldn’t stop. My body was shaking, I was dizzy, and I didn’t sleep for two days. I had never felt so out of control or scared in my life. I never touched Adderall again.

That experience taught me a valuable lesson: the system didn’t care about finding the root cause of my ADHD. No one asked why I had it or if there was a way to heal. I was simply treated with medication and sent on my way.

Years passed, and while I managed without medication, my ADHD was still very present. I got married, had my first child, and fell asleep every night feeling defeated. The voice in my head was so loud, I constantly felt overwhelmed. And then, after my second child was born with so many symptoms ranging from eczema to colic and oh the screaming for hours on end - I nearly lost myself completely.

If you haven’t listened to the episode on colic, go back and give it a listen. Even if your child is older now, you’ll learn something important, because my son’s colic eventually led me to an incredible discovery.

It turns out, my son’s colic and all of his other symptoms like sensory processing issues, behavioral outbursts, the desperate need to breastfeed around the clock, his painful bloating, eczema, allergies and developmental delays that all stacked up over 2.5 years were caused by a gut imbalance. An imbalance I had unknowingly lived with for likely my entire life, and unfortunately passed on to him during birth. As I worked to heal my son’s gut with the help of our naturopath, I was advised to rebalance my own gut as well. And something amazing happened - something I never expected.

My mind became quiet for the first time in over a decade. I could be present in the moment. I could follow through on big ideas and dreams that I used to start but never finish. This podcast, my business ōNLē ORGANICS, everything I’ve created - these are products of me healing my gut. 

This experience really opened my eyes to the importance of gut health - not just for physical symptoms, but for mental and emotional well-being too. It showed me that imbalances in the gut can manifest in ways we might never expect. And while I hadn’t experienced traditional digestive issues, my gut was still at the root of my ADHD symptoms, anxiety, and constant overwhelm. Rebalancing my gut gave me mental clarity and focus I hadn’t experienced in over a decade. And is why I will forever prioritize my gut health. Because I never want to feel scattered and chaotic again. 

Another really visual example of the gut/brain connection is when our children get sick.

If you’ve ever noticed that after your child gets a cold, they seem out of sorts - maybe they’re acting out, seem angry or frustrated, or they’re just not themselves- there’s a reason for that. It’s not just about the cold; it’s what happens in their gut after the cold. When a germ invades the body and makes them sick, it impacts their gut microbiome. And that imbalance in their gut changes the way their brain functions.

In my own experience as a mother, I’ve seen how rebalancing the gut after an illness can make a huge difference in how quickly my kids recover not just physically, but emotionally as well. It’s about helping their bodies find balance again - supporting their gut to restore the healthy bacteria that keeps both their physical and mental health in check.

Another one is postpartum depression. It is safe to estimate that 30-40% of women experience postpartum depression. Why? Because the necessary hormone fluctuations that happen during pregnancy disrupt the gut microbiome. Women aren’t educated on the importance of nurturing their gut while pregnant so they find themselves in their postpartum period with an imbalance which often leads to postpartum depression. Throw in any medications that this mama may need during pregnancy, birth and postpartum and her gut is greatly compromised. She then unknowingly passes this imbalance onto her baby and a very vicious cycle begins. 

So now that we understand how the gut affects the brain, let’s talk about the reverse: how the brain affects the gut. What might surprise you is that this connection goes both ways. Just as an imbalanced gut can send disruptive signals to your brain, your thoughts and emotions can directly impact your gut health.

When you're feeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed, your brain sends signals down the vagus nerve to your gut. This can disrupt digestion and even throw off the balance of bacteria in your microbiome. Think about how your stomach tightens when you're nervous, or how you might lose your appetite when you're stressed—those are examples of the gut-brain axis at work in real-time.

For mothers, this connection becomes even more significant. If you're breastfeeding, your gut health is directly influencing your baby’s gut health through your milk. But beyond that, your thoughts and emotions play a powerful role in shaping your child's microbiome. If you're constantly filled with doubt or worry, that stress will manifest physically in your body and disrupt your own gut health. And this can affect your ability to help your child heal, especially if they’re also dealing with gut issues.

This leads to something deeply important: your mindset in the healing process. You are the light that leads your family. If you believe in the possibility of healing, both for yourself and your child, that belief will ripple through your actions, decisions, and ultimately, the health of your family.

Healing is not about fighting against the struggles you face - it's about embracing the journey and trusting that every challenge is shaping you and your family into something stronger. Don’t resist the process. Lean into it, and trust that you're leading your family toward a healthier, more balanced life.

To wrap up today’s conversation, we’ve explored how the gut-brain axis plays a vital role in both our physical and mental health. From hyperactivity in children to anxiety and brain fog in adults, gut imbalances can have far-reaching effects on how we think, feel, and function. And as we've learned, our mindset and emotions are just as critical to the healing process as the physical actions we take.

If you’re ready to begin your gut health journey for yourself or your family, I invite you to explore the Women's and Children's Gut Rebalance Kits. These kits are specifically designed to restore balance in your gut, allowing you to feel your best mentally, emotionally, and physically. Rebalancing with the Women’s Kit is what completely changed my life. If you are new here I am going to attach two other episodes for you to listen to in the show notes. One that goes deeper into how to start your gut healing journey and one that teaches how to maintain your gut balance.

Thank you so much for joining me today on Follow Your Gut. I hope you feel empowered to take the next step in your own healing journey and embrace the possibility of change. 

Here are some studies that support the observation that children with ADHD and autism have distinct differences in their gut microbiome compared to neurotypical children.


Please note: All of the studies mentioned are linked for you to explore. At the time of recording this episode, these studies are live and accessible. However, it's possible that some may become unavailable or be removed in the future. This raises important questions about why this happens. Unfortunately, much of the scientific information we rely on is governed by larger industries, like big pharma. If certain findings don't align with their interests, publishers are often required to remove them. Which is a reminder to always seek out independent, unbiased sources of information when it comes to your health.

1. Altered Gut Microbiota in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Summary:
This study found that children with autism have significant differences in their gut microbiome compared to neurotypical children. Notably, there was decreased microbial diversity and altered bacterial composition, suggesting a potential link between the gut microbiome and autism symptoms.

2. Gut Microbiota Composition Associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Patient Behavior in Children

Summary:
This study observed that the gut microbiome of children with ADHD differed significantly from that of healthy controls. The findings suggest that certain bacterial genera are associated with ADHD symptoms, indicating the role of the gut microbiome in the disorder.

3. The Gut Microbiota and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Implications of Microbiome–Gut–Brain Axis for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Summary:
This review discusses how alterations in the gut microbiome can influence neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. It emphasizes the importance of the microbiome and gut/brain axis in understanding the pathogenesis of ASD.

4. Reduced Diversity of the Gut Microbiome in Patients with ADHD

Summary:
This study found that people with ADHD had reduced gut microbiome diversity. The research suggests a connection between gut microbial composition and the severity of ADHD symptoms.

5. Correlation Between Gut Microbiome and Symptoms of Autism in Children

Summary:The study indicates a correlation between specific gut microbiome profiles and the severity of autism symptoms in children, reinforcing the idea that gut health is linked to neurodevelopmental conditions.

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