Gut Bacteria and Its Impact on Depression and Anxiety

It’s easy to think of gut health and mental health as separate, but research is beginning to show that’s not the case. Since 50% of people are diagnosed with a mental disorder at some point in their life, correlations between gut bacteria and depression should be taken seriously 1.

As more research about the gut brain connection comes to light, more in-depth analyses are beginning to take place in the mental health sphere. Now, scientists are determining the impact gut bacteria has on specific mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural response to stress characterized by feelings of worry, nervousness, or fear that can range from mild to severe. While occasional anxiety is normal, chronic or excessive anxiety may interfere with daily life and become an anxiety disorder. Key points about anxiety include:

Symptoms of anxiety include:

• Excessive Worry
• Rapid Heartbeat
• Difficulty Concentrating
• Muscle Tension
• Feeling On Edge
• Restlessness
• Trouble Sleeping

Anxiety is a normal stress reaction that causes worry and fear. If it lasts too long or is very strong, it can affect daily life.

Gut Bacteria and Anxiety 

Gut bacteria affect your mental health, including anxiety. The gut and brain communicate closely, and when gut bacteria are out of balance, anxiety can increase.

People with anxiety often have different gut bacteria and more inflammation in their digestive system. This can affect chemicals in the brain that control mood.

Some gut bacteria help reduce inflammation and support a healthy brain. Eating well, taking probiotics, and living a healthy lifestyle can improve gut balance and may lower anxiety.

Although more research is needed, taking care of your gut health is an important way to help manage anxiety naturally.

Gut Biome Diversity and Anxiety

Having a wide variety of gut bacteria, called gut biome diversity, is important for mental health, including anxiety. The gut and brain are connected, and a healthy mix of bacteria helps keep this connection strong and balanced.

Studies show that people with anxiety often have fewer types of bacteria in their gut. This lack of diversity can cause more inflammation and affect chemicals in the brain that control anxiety and mood.

Research has found that taking probiotics—good bacteria supplements—can help improve anxiety by balancing gut bacteria and reducing inflammation.

Eating healthy foods like fiber-rich plants and fermented products, along with probiotics, can help increase gut bacteria variety and may help reduce anxiety symptoms.

Let’s take a peek at microbes associated with this mental health disorder.

Microbes Associated With Anxiety

Research shows that people with anxiety often have different gut bacteria than those without anxiety. They usually have fewer helpful bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which make substances that reduce inflammation and help control mood. At the same time, they may have more harmful bacteria that cause inflammation and make anxiety worse.

Some important bacteria that produce butyrate, a substance good for gut and brain health, are often low in people with anxiety. This lack can cause inflammation and disrupt the communication between the gut and brain, increasing anxiety symptoms.

Gut bacteria can affect anxiety by changing brain chemicals, influencing the immune system, and affecting how the gut and brain communicate. When this balance is off, it can lead to more inflammation and stress hormones that raise anxiety levels.

Certain probiotics like Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium longum may help reduce anxiety by restoring good bacteria and lowering inflammation. More research is needed, but studies suggest that improving gut bacteria could be a helpful way to manage anxiety.

Gut Bacteria and Depression

Depression is another more common mental illness that affects many people. Approximately 7.1% of adults have had at least one major depressive episode in their lifetime 5. Like schizophrenia, research has begun to form a correlation between gut health and depression.

Microbes That Boost Mood

Both of these bacteria produce a substance called butyrate. This substance has many health benefits, such as decreasing inflammation caused by the immune system 7.

“The researchers found that two groups of bacteria, Coprococcus and Dialister, were reduced in people with depression. And they saw a positive correlation between quality of life and the potential ability of the gut microbiome to synthesize a breakdown product of the neurotransmitter dopamine, called 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. The results are some of the strongest yet to show that a person’s microbiota can influence their mental health 8.”

– Nature

It is becoming evident that gut health and mental health are closely related. Luckily having a healthy gut is not unattainable.

How to Improve Gut Bacteria

Gut health is something that can be improved with the decisions you make every day. The first step is to make sure you are eating healthy whole foods to nourish not just yourself, but all of your good gut bacteria also 9.

According to the Journal for Agriculture and Food Chemistry,

“Whole plant foods, including fruit, vegetables, and whole grain cereals, protect against chronic human diseases such as heart disease and cancer, with fiber and polyphenols thought to contribute significantly. These bioactive food components interact with the gut microbiota, with gut bacteria modifying polyphenol bioavailability and activity, and with fiber, constituting the main energy source for colonic fermentation.”

– Journal for Agriculture and Food Chemistry

By eating a balanced diet of whole foods, you can help alter the gut bacteria in your microbiome for the better. In turn, you will experience less inflammation in the system. As a result, the gut-brain-axis won’t send negative signals that may trigger mental health episodes.

Microbiome Testing for Mental Health

Another step is to supplement with probiotics to make sure your microbiome is diverse and full of helpful microbes 10. At. Ombre, we offer strain-specific probiotics clinically backed to target your symptoms.

Learn if you're lacking the bacteria you need for optimal mental wellness with our at-home gut microbiome test. We implement safe and secure microbiome testing in order to help you achieve the most health benefits quickly and effectively. The science is clear; taking care of your mental health means taking care of your gut health.