Treat the Gut (When You’ve Got the Blues)

Depression and anxiety are pretty common in people with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). In fact, mental health symptoms often show up before the physical ones in UC—sometimes by a year or more! With IBD, it’s usually the other way around, where depression and anxiety follow the onset of the disease. Either way, research has made it clear that gut health and mental health are closely linked.

Your Microbiome & Your Vagus Nerve

A big factor in this connection is the balance of bacteria in the gut. Studies have shown that genetically modified animals designed to develop IBD didn’t actually get colitis when raised in a germ-free environment—pretty wild, right? This highlights just how much gut bacteria influence our health. The vagus nerve plays a major role in this gut-brain relationship, and imbalances in gut bacteria have even been linked to depression. Healthy gut flora is crucial for breaking down complex nutrients, making essential vitamins, improving digestion, and protecting against harmful substances. If this delicate balance gets thrown off, it can lead to nutrient deficiencies that impact neurotransmitter production—the chemicals responsible for regulating mood. Even something as simple as eating probiotic-rich foods like yogurt has been shown to boost mood in people with depression!

Is fast-food making you sad?

There’s also a strong link between junk food and mental health. Studies have found that diets high in processed, low-nutrient foods correlate with increased psychiatric distress and even aggressive behavior in adolescents.

It’s a vicious cycle—poor nutrition can lead to feeling down, and feeling down can lead to making even worse food choices. That’s why keeping an eye on key nutrients—like omega-3s, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins A, B6, B12, K, and D—is so important for both gut and mental health.

Two key neurotransmitters, serotonin and cholecystokinin (CCK), are actually produced in the gut and help regulate mood. CCK is also involved in digestion, helping to stimulate insulin production and pancreatic enzymes. If gut health takes a hit, so does the production of these mood-regulating chemicals, potentially leading to both digestive issues and low mood.

How do I fix this?

The good news? There are natural ways to support both gut and mental health. Guided imagery—a form of meditation—has been shown to reduce stress and pain in people with IBD. Melatonin, known for helping with sleep, also plays a role in gut function and has been shown to relieve symptoms of IBS while improving sleep, anxiety, and depression.

Another key player is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is essential for brain health. It’s often low in people with major depression, but boosting gut health through probiotics, fiber, and removing food allergens may help increase BDNF levels and support overall brain function.

But this is only scratching the surface…

I’m ready for change!

For centuries, naturopathic medicine has emphasized the importance of gut health in treating a wide range of conditions, including mental health disorders. Now, even conventional medicine is catching on, with more and more research backing up the gut-brain connection.

Treating the gut isn’t just a trend—it’s a key part of getting to the root cause of many health issues and finding real, lasting solutions.

If you’re in Connecticut, Dr. Frawley would be happy to help! Click the Button below to set up your initial consult.