How Your Gut Bacteria Controls Your Mood

Sometimes I feel like I’m having an existential crisis but then I poop and feel like everything gonna be alright

I've been irritable and moody all my life and suffered from depression and anxiety but did not want to go on meds. During the start of the first lockdown, I upped my cooking skills and gave my diet a makeover. Then, I slowly added exercise. I've never felt better in mind, body, and soul. It really is just small lifestyle choices that build the way toward a happier and healthy life.

As a dietitian at a behavioral health hospital I tell patients about the gut-brain connection all the time.

When my stomach upset i feel like i am in temporary depression, anxiety,brain frog,hard to understand things,headache,mood swings...etc.

Finally, a professional said depression can be linked to bad diet. I am constantly telling my family food choice is EVERYTHING and they always come back with "nah, it's my genes. Can't help it." They just ignore the endless amounts of sugar, processed foods, and soda that goes into their body. It's insane how many people can't accept that food, water, and physical movement are everything.

I quit sugar drinks, quit binge eating, eat probiotics. Starts to exercise 20-25 minutes per day & read book. I keep monitor my mood, and i can say that, my anxiety level reduced dramatically.

That makes sense. Ever since I’ve made lifestyle changes incorporating a healthy diet of more vegetables, fruits, probiotics and healthy fats, daily cardio and quality sleep, I noticed significant improvement to my mental health. I’ve been suffering severe resistant treatment depression for over 8 years and nothing helped except for a healthy lifestyle. 10 months later I feel great. My enthusiasm for life is back, I’m more productive at work and feel well rested. As a bonus my IBS symptoms disappeared.

After a lifetime of vague anxiety and depression, I removed sugar from my diet and eat whole foods, only. This had nothing to do with mood. I'd accepted that this was a fact of life... I was very wrong. It's gone. All gone. Life is good and I'll never go back.

Went from: “It’s all in your head”, To: “It’s all in your gut”

So apparently, what happens in the vagus nerve doesn't stay in the vagus nerve.

This is very true. I recently lost a bunch of weight. Before that, I was drinking 7-10 diet sodas per day. Not only was I addicted to the aspartame in them, I was literally flooding my gut with candida, a very bad gut bacteria. It significantly changed the shape of my gut and had me in a near constant brain fog. Since cutting out the diet soda and losing 40 pounds, and feeding my gut with green veg every day, I feel so much sharper and am more easily able to remember things... it's a great feeling. Listen to this advice. Eat spinach, arugula and kale every day.

I wish I knew this back in 2002. I battled depression for a long time and also had digestive issues. Had I known this, I would have taken care of my stomach issues.

When the student is ready the teacher will appear. I am grateful to have found this channel today :)

I struggle with a lot of mood swings and dealing with random sadness and anger, but when I take good care of my body by eating good food and working out, I'm able to control that and live a better and calmer life. So yes, definitely true that the gut does control the mind.

You speak very well. The best way I can describe it is that you talk to me, not at me. Very calm, collected and authentic. Just what people need. Well done.

My anxiety disappeared after I started eating fermented foods, especially homemade sauerkraut, and fiber.

"Even if you've never been depressed or anxious". What a beautiful experience that must be.

As a clinical microbiologist, this video made me SO HAPPY! Thank you for sharing this information and giving gut bacteria the credit they deserve--you cannot be healthy unless your microbiome is healthy! Remember that your gut bacteria also produce about 95% of your body's serotonin (source: APA). Diet and lifestyle are SO important to keeping your gut flora happy. Don't just feed yourself--feed your microbiome too :)

My depression was triggered by taking a 3 day course of antibiotics called Flagyl/Metronidazole. After completing the 3 day course I woke up with a terrible headache followed by severe depression and then ultimately anhedonia. I am now working on rebalcing my gut microbiome with the help of great informational videos such as this one.

This is probably one of the best videos out there on the topic. The doctor neither tried to dumb it down nor tried to show off. A layperson like me got everything she said in one go without switching to the next video or getting bored. An important video, well done.