Has it been confirmed – you are what you eat?

A recent study by the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) has confirmed that not only does the brain talk to the gut but the signals go both ways.

This was done by studying women eating probiotic yoghurt and those that weren’t. A total group size of 36, between the ages of 18 and 55.Those that were eating probotics regularly were found to have increased brain function..

It has long been known that stress can contribute to pain and other issues in the gut. This study, although only a proof of concept at this stage, has shown that if the gut is healthy, the brain will function better, therefore confirming that the signals do go both ways.

Dr Kirsten Tillisch, an Associate Professor of Medicine at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and lead author of the study said; “Time and time again we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut. Our study shows that the gut-brain connection is a two-way street. Our findings indicate that some of the contents of yoghurt may actually change the way our brain responds to the environment. When we consider the implications of this work, the old sayings ‘you are what you eat’ and ‘gut feelings’ take on new meaning.”

These findings have significant potential health implications and it will not be long before further studies are done to measure the degree that this gut brain communication has on our overall health.

The study was published in the June online edition of the journal Gastroenterology.

This article was written by Rachelle Williams, The Green Food Safety Coach