Go With Your Gut: Exploring The Food-Mood Connection

A physician I saw about my irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) mentioned, “When anxiety strikes, you find yourself rushing to the bathroom. Anxiety is supposed to be a mental thing, so why the need for a restroom visit? It's all due to the connection between your brain and gut.”

The ‘loo’ is her euphemism for passing stool. Another example is the feeling of ‘butterflies fluttering’ in your stomach, which also implies your gut health’s effect on your mind. The state of our gut is entwined with what we eat. In other words, food = mood.

Dr Amol Vadgaonkar, consultant in medical gastroenterology at the Institute of Gastro Sciences, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital, explains how your gut and brain are connected, how gut health affects your mind, and how food can help improve gut health and mood.

Dr Amol points out that the state of our gut health can influence our mood due to its link with the brain through the gut-brain axis. This axis represents a two-way communication path between the gastrointestinal tract (or the gut) and the central nervous system (or the brain). The brain can impact gut function via stress hormones and neurotransmitters, affecting digestion and motility, while the gut communicates with the brain through gut hormones, cytokines, and microbial metabolites, influencing mood, cognition, and behaviour. The vagus nerve transmits signals bidirectionally between the gut and the brain. 

Think of this axis like an instant messaging conversation with your BFF — you’re constantly communicating and naturally affect each other’s moods.

He shares that gut microbiota produces neurotransmitters like serotonin (primarily produced in the gut and plays a role in mood stability), dopamine, and GABA, which influence mood regulation. A disruption in the balance of intestinal bacteria has been associated with mood-related conditions like depression and anxiety, indicating that a well-balanced gut microbiome plays a significant role in fostering emotional health and stabilising mood.

There you have it, straight from the expert.

If, in a child, a tummy ache can lead to sadness (and tantrums), then even without a scientific explanation, it stands to reason that symptoms of an upset gastrointestinal tract will make you irritable, frustrated, or even sad. Not to mention the ‘hangriness’ that kicks in when you haven’t eaten in a while. Making the connection between gut health and mood even clearer.

It’s a simple deduction: food affects gut health, and gut health affects mood (and your mental health in the long term). Dr Amol says, “Nutrients derived from food play essential roles in brain function and neurotransmitter production, influencing mood, cognition, and behaviour. Conversely, our mental health can affect our food choices, leading to changes in appetite and dietary habits. Stress or depression can alter eating patterns, leading to either overeating or undereating.”

While a diet full of saturated fats and refined sugar (in ultra-processed food) may give you temporary joy as you navigate tight work deadlines or a tough breakup, research suggests this could lead to inflammation and chronic disease. Think back to eating instant noodles as an adult — no matter how enjoyable the taste, the mild tummy ache that (usually) follows along with bloating isn’t imaginary. Also, how can one forget the resultant irritable mood?

In conclusion, what mummy’s been advising is exactly what the doctor orders — chew your food, eat a balanced diet, eat healthy food for a healthy mind, and keep the unhealthy goodies as once-in-a-while treats.

Dr Amol on the foods that contribute to a healthy gut environment, which supports health through the gut-health axis (and what to indulge in less):

1. Foods rich in probiotics, such as dahi and sauerkraut, help maintain a beneficial balance of gut bacteria, leading to improved mood and a decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms. He clarifies, “Probiotics are living microorganisms, often bacteria or yeasts, that provide health advantages when ingested in sufficient quantities. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are forms of fibre (like chicory root and banana) that feed the good bacteria in the gut.
2. Fibre-rich foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables support gut microbiota diversity, leading to the production of short-chain fatty acids that reduce inflammation and support brain function.
3. Fatty acids, known as Omega-3, present in foods like fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts, help decrease inflammation and promote the health of neurons, which can help lessen depression symptoms and enhance brain function.
4. Fermented foods like kimchi and miso provide probiotics and promote gut microbiota diversity, which can positively impact mood and mental clarity.
5. Avoid highly processed foods as they lack fibre and contain additives that disrupt gut microbiota balance, skip the sugary treats as excessive sugar can promote the growth of harmful bacteria. Too much alcohol disrupts gut barrier function and alters microbial composition.

In addition to dietary and lifestyle changes, researchers who studied monks found evidence that regular meditation over the years could help the gut (and, as a result, enhance the immune system and potentially decrease the likelihood of experiencing common ailments such as anxiety, depression, and heart disease.)

Establishing direct links via scientific research between gut health and mood may be recent, but we’ve had the solutions in our arsenal for years. 

Yes, it does. Dr Amol highlights the importance of food-derived nutrients in supporting brain health and neurotransmitter creation, which in turn influences our mood, understanding, and behaviour. Our mental health also affects our food choices and appetite — stress and depression can make you overeat and undereat.

Gut health affects mood through its connection to the brain via the gut-brain axis. Actually, gut microbiota generates neurotransmitters such as serotonin (which is mainly created in the gut and is crucial for mood balance), dopamine, and GABA, all of which play a major role in regulating mood. Gut bacteria imbalance is associated with mood-related conditions like depression and anxiety, indicating a clear connection between our gut health and our emotional state.

1. Probiotic-rich foods like dahi and sauerkraut promote good gut bacteria balance, which can improve mood. The same goes for probiotic-rich, fermented food like kimchi and miso.
2. Healthy, fibre-rich foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables support gut microbiota diversity.
3. Certain types of fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts — all of which contain omega-3 — help reduce inflammation and support neuronal health.

Scientifically speaking, there is a direct connection between your gut and mental health, as highlighted by Dr Amol and tons of research studies. So it would be safe to say that the food we eat and our lifestyle habits (choosing ultra-processed foods over fibre-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, and veggies) most certainly affect our mental health.