The Holistic Medicine Podcast by Dr Julie Moltke
The Holistic Medicine Podcast by Dr Julie Moltke
E7 The relationship between gut health, mood and mental health with nutritionist Clarissa Lenherr
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Clarissa Lenherr is a Harley Street registered nutritionist and leading workplace wellbeing consultant. As a private nutritionist, Clarissa has helped hundreds of clients back to optimal health and she specialises in digestive health, auto-immune conditions, and hormone health. Her mission is to take the science of nutrition and convert it into easy to implement strategies so that her clients can achieve ultimate wellbeing.
4:30 - What is the enteric nervous system: the connection of nerve fibers in the gut is called the enteric nervous system (ENS) and it is sometimes called the second brain.
8:10 - The brain-gut connection: There is a bidirectional link between the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system in the gut.
12:50: The microbiome is a collection of bacteria that live in our gut. Some of them produce neurotransmitters including serotonin, GABA, and dopamine. 95% of serotonin, one of the most important hormones for mental health, is made in the gut. 70% of the immune system is in the gut which is why an unhealthy gut is often associated with poor immune health, autoimmune disease, and inflammation.
15:10 - Can stress, anxiety, and mental health disorders originate from the gut?
18:30 - How can we use nutrition to improve gut health and mood? Disclaimer: if you have a preexisting medical concern you should see a doctor or nutritionist
Tips to improve gut health and mood
- 30 grams of fiber per day (The average consumes only eats 18 grams) - It benefits digestive health, heart, and liver health. It feeds the good bacteria and can improve constipation dominant IBS.
- Prebiotic fibers are insoluble and they are hard to break down in the gut. It moves whole to the large intestine where the gut-bacteria eat them and produce by-products including short-chained fatty-acids (SCFA).
- Some prebiotic foods are: Artichokes, Asparagus, bananas, barley, berries, chicory, garlic, green vegetables
- Probiotics: food or supplements containing live-bacteria to support our microbiome. They can be found in fermented food like kefir and live yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi, tempeh, and soy. Can be used 3 times/week. Or take probiotics in supplement form.
- Start low and go slow: Too many fibers and probiotics can cause bloating and diarrhea so start slowly when increasing fiber intake.
- Red wine can be good for the microbiome in small quantities
Stay away from:
- Processed meats and processed food
- Contains lots of nitrate and unhealthy fats
- Sweeteners have been shown to reduce the diversity in the microbiome
- Stay away from chewing gum which contains a lot of sweeteners
- Be cautious with caffeine which can cause bloating and diarrhea
- Alcohol affects our absorption of nutritions and our mood and sleep.
- Refined sugar - less than 30 grams per day
30:20: Can food reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress? Simple diet changes to a whole-food, high in fruits and vegetables. Nutrients to support mental health:
- Omega-3: From fatty-fish like salmon and mackerel, chia seeds and walnuts
- Vitamin-3: diary milk-foods, eggs, mushrooms, and from the sunshine. As a supplement - recommended dose: 25-50 microgram/day.
35:10 Is intermittent-fasting good for gut-health and mood? Fasting can help the digestive system to fully clear out and reset.
Tips: Have 12-16 hours fasting period overnight (start low and go slow)
- 4-hour gaps between meals
- Reduce snacking (not for people with diabetes, pregnancy, or high-stress levels)
- You can have water, tea or black coffee
- Eat a balanced diet in the 8 hours - eat the colors of the rainbow, hydrate, and drink lots of water
Clarissa Lenherr is a Harley Street registered nutritionist and leading workplace wellbeing consultant. As a private nutritionist, Clarissa has helped hundreds of clients back to optimal health and she specialises in digestive health, auto-immune conditions and hormone health. Her mission is to take the science of nutrition and convert it into easy to implement strategies so that her clients can achieve ultimate wellbeing. When not in her practice, Clarissa spends her time delivering keynotes and workshops for the world’s leading companies, empowering their employees with the skills, techniques and knowledge to transform and optimise their health, happiness, and productivity. Clarissa has worked with over 100 companies globally including eBay, Universal Music, Chanel HQ, Lloyds, Coca-Cola, Investec, Adobe, and more.
What is the enteric nervous system: the connection of nerve fibers in the gut is called the enteric nervous system (ENS) and it is sometimes called the second brain. There are 100 million nerve cells in the gut. It can influence digestion, gut-motility, blood-flow, hormone balance, mood, stress levels, and much more.
The brain-gut connection: There is a bidirectional link between the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system in the gut. The endocrine system and the immune system are also affecting the gut nervous system and interacting with the central nervous system in an important network which is regulating our overall health and happiness.
The vagus nerve is the high-way where messengers can be sent between the gut and the brain. It sends messengers from the microbiome to the brain and this is the reason for things like “the gut-feeling” or “butterflies in my stomach”. The messengers from the gut and microbiome can influence our mood and our mood can also influence our gut-health and digestion. Brain-fog, stress, and anxiety can be caused by an imbalance in the microbiome and digestion.
The microbiome is a collection of bacteria that live in our gut. Some of them produce neurotransmitters including serotonin, GABA, and dopamine and some bacterias are producing short-chained fatty acids. 95% of serotonin, one of the most important hormones for mood and mental health, is made in the gut.
70% of the immune system is in the gut which is why an unhealthy gut is often associated with poor immune health, autoimmune disease, and inflammation.
Can stress, anxiety, and mental health disorders originate from the gut? We do not have conclusive evidence to conclude what comes first - it is a chicken and an egg situation. But we do know that the gut can be involved with imbalances in mental health.
How can we use nutrition to improve gut health and mood? Disclaimer: if you have a preexisting medical concern you should see a doctor or nutritionist
Tips to improve gut health and mood
- 30 grams of fiber per day (The average consumes only eats 18 grams) - It benefits digestive health, heart, and liver health. It feeds the good bacteria and can improve constipation dominant IBS (IBS-C).
- Prebiotic fibers are insoluble and they are hard to break down in the gut. It moves whole to the large intestine where the gut-bacteria eat them and produce by-products including short-chained fatty-acids (SCFA). The SCFA are butyrate (neuro-protective), acetate (keeps PH-balance and regulate appetite), and propionate (reduce inflammation). They also produce lactate which is also neuroprotective.
- Some prebiotic foods are: Artichokes, Asparagus, bananas, barley, berries, chicory, garlic, green vegetables
- Probiotics: food or supplements containing live-bacteria to support our microbiome. They can be found in:
- FOOD: Fermented food like kefir and live yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi, tempeh and soy. Can be used 3 times per week.
- Probiotic supplements
- Start low and go slow: Too many fibers and probiotics can cause bloating and diarrhea so start slowly when increasing fiber intake.
- Red wine can be good for the microbiome in small quantities
Stay away from:
- Processed meats and processed food
- Contains lots of nitrate and unhealthy fats
- Sweeteners have been shown to reduce the diversity in the microbiome
- Stay away from chewing gum which contains a lot of sweeteners
- Be cautious with caffeine which can cause bloating and diarrhea
- Alcohol affects our absorption of nutritions and our mood and sleep.
- Refined sugar - less than 30 grams per day
Can food reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress?
Western diets high in sugars and refined carbohydrates can reduce our energy and send us on a blood-sugar rollercoaster which can cause mood changes, fatigue, and anxiety.
Simple diet changes to a whole-food, high in fruits and vegetables.
Nutrients to support mental health
- Omega-3: From fatty-fish like salmon and mackerel, chia seeds and walnuts
- Vitamin-3: diary milk-foods, eggs, mushrooms, and from the sunshine. As a supplement - recommended dose: 25-50 microgram/day.
Is intermittent-fasting good for gut-health and mood?
Time-restricted eating includes a lot of different diets (16 hours of fasting and 8 hours eating, 5:2 diet, and more).
The science looks like we can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce appetite and control weight, improve cellular health to improve longevity.
Fasting can help the digestive system to fully clear out and reset.
Tips:
- Have a 12-16 hours fasting period overnight (start low and go slow)
- 4-hour gaps between meals
- Reduce snacking (not for people with diabetes, pregnancy, or high-stress levels)
- You can have water, tea or black coffee
- Eat a balanced diet in the 8 hours - eat the colors of the rainbow, hydrate, and drink lots of water
- Have a Mediterranean diet as it has shown to be able to reduce depressive symptoms: olive oil and omega-3 fish, whole-grain, fibers, and diversity of the rainbow vegetables and fruits.