The Gut-Brain Connection – 5 Ways to Strengthen It for Better Mood, Digestion, and Hormone Balance

As we reach midlife, the connection between our gut and brain becomes more significant than ever. This fascinating relationship, known as the gut-brain axis, influences everything from our mood and mental clarity to our digestive health and hormone balance.

Understanding and nurturing this connection can be particularly beneficial for women navigating the unique challenges of midlife.

Watch the video below or listen to the podcast (episode 152).

How the Gut-Brain Connection Works

The gut-brain connection is an incredible communication network – It's like a super highway, where messages travel between the two via the vagus nerve and the enteric nervous system, regulating gut function and influencing mental health.

The Brain: Stress and emotions can have a huge effect on your digestion, contributing to symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, gas, pain, reflux and more.

When your body senses danger (which used to be a lion attack, these days it's just modern life!), or if you have negative emotions such as anger, frustration, sadness, loneliness or self doubt, your stress response kicks in, and you produce adrenalin and cortisol. These hormones take priority over other body systems, including digestion, leading to unwanted symptoms.

The Gut: Our gut is home to a vast network of neurons and trillions of microorganisms that play essential roles in digestion, immune function, and mood regulation. The microbiome produces neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and GABA which are crucial for our mental and emotional well-being.

Symptoms of Imbalance

When the gut-brain connection is out of balance during midlife, it can not only lead to digestive issues like bloating and IBS, but symptoms can be systemic, including fatigue, anxiety and depression, hormonal imbalances affecting periods and menopause, brain fog, memory loss and weight gain. And ultimately any imbalance is going to increase the risk of inflammation and faster ageing.

The Hormone Connection

You won't be surprised to hear that hormones are key players in the gut-brain axis, and they can impact things in different ways;

1. Cortisol: excess cortisol can mess with your gut by increasing inflammation and disrupting the balance of good bacteria, which can lead to digestive problems.
2. Thyroid: low thyroid hormones slow down metabolism and energy levels, which can affect gut motility (eg constipation, bloating) and brain function (eg brain fog, memory loss, low mood, anxiety). Poor gut health can interfere with the conversion of thyroid hormones to their active forms and disrupt nutrient absorption, leading to thyroid hormone imbalances and impaired function.
3. Insulin: Insulin controls blood sugar levels, which can change the makeup of gut bacteria and how the brain gets its energy, while gut bacteria can also impact how well the body responds to insulin.
4. Oestrogen: Fluctuations in oestrogen levels during perimenopause and menopause can affect gut motility and microbiome composition, influencing both our digestive and mental health.
5. Serotonin: About 90% of our body's serotonin is produced in the gut not the brain. Poor gut health can therefore result in mood issues, anxiety, and also disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.
6. Ghrelin and Leptin: These hormones, which regulate hunger and satiety, are influenced by gut health and can impact eating behaviours and weight management.

Strategies to Support the Gut-Brain Connection

Maintaining a healthy gut-brain connection is essential for overall well-being, especially during midlife. Here are some practical strategies to support this vital network:

1. Gut-brain friendly diet:
   • Reduce sugar, refined carbs, processed foods to reduce any stress on your digestion
   • Try eliminating gluten and/or dairy for a few weeks to see if they are a potential stressor for you
   • Limit alcohol
   • Eat diverse and colourful veggies every day – fill half your plate
   • Probiotic foods – including live natural yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, kimchi
   • Prebiotic foods – including onions, leeks, garlic, cold potatoes, green bananas
   • Good fats – including olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, oily fish – avoid vegetable oils
   • Try Apple Cider Vinegar and/or digestive enzymes to aid digestion
   • Hydration – drink 2L of fluids per day
2. Stress Management:
   • Prioritize your sleep
   • Meditate / deep breathing / mindfulness
   • Slow down for meals – try mindful eating 
   • Chew more – try to chew until the food is liquid before swallowing
   • Relax and have more fun! Make more time to do things that you love
   • Assess your relationship with your digital devices; time for a digital detox?
3. Move Daily:
   • Take regular breaks from sitting – set an alarm to get up and move, walk or get some water
   • Walk more, especially in nature – this helps reduce stress and boost your mood
   • Don't over-exercise if it depletes your energy – this is a sign that your energy reserves are low and you need to prioritise them
   • Try yoga and pilates for reducing stress – also great for strength, flexibility, mood and bone health!
4. Supplements:
   • Getting enough nutrients to support your gut and brain is essential. Here are my top ones;
     • A good quality multivitamin to provide your active B vitamins and key minerals
     • Magnesium for adrenal and hormone support, energy production and general wellbeing
     • Omega 3 EPA/DHA for managing inflammation, brain health and gut lining integrity
     • Vitamin D is key to support your immune function (located in the gut)
     • Vitamin C is another immune support and potent antioxidant for the brain
     • Digestive aids including enzymes, probiotics and prebiotics to support gut health and microbiome status
     • Stress Support, including ashwagandha, rhodiola, L-Theanine, Bacopa and Lemon balm
   • Check out my favourite supplement brands HERE.
5. Seek professional support:
   • If you do all or some of this and still have symptoms, you may need to dig a bit deeper to see if there's an underlying infection or imbalance, which you won't know about unless you do a stool test. Please don't suffer in silence. Contact us if you'd like more information on our state of the art testing and support.

It's vital to check with your doctor if you have a health condition or are taking medications before taking any new supplements.