Gut-Brain health has gained much needed attention lately. The idea that “you are what you eat” is not new. However, the concept that the health of the mind is actually connected to the health of the body is new in respect to its mainstream awareness and acceptance. Various issues that cause problems with the absorption of nutrients, such as weight loss (bariatric surgery), restrictive diets, GI cancer/bowel surgery, Crohn’s disease, etc., affect the balance of micronutrients in the body and may be affecting mental health as well.
Our bodies are in a constant struggle to maintain balance. The chemical microenvironment of the body influences and sometimes determines cellular function. Research has allowed us to make huge leaps forward in our overall knowledge of our organ systems. Heart health, diabetes, thyroid issues, etc. are part of a long list of diseases that may be impacted by the food we eat and influencing overall gut health. The upsurge in chronic gut-health issues coinciding with an upsurge in depression and anxiety has opened the conversation about the impact of gut-health on the balance of our largest endocrine organ, the brain.
Much more research is needed to understand the complex relationship between the health of our guts and our overall mental and physical health. A recent article published by the Medicinal Research Reviews (April 2019), cited many ongoing studies that have determined that the bacterial environment of the gut is a “major factor influencing both health and disease”. Individual and environmental factors contribute to differences in the types and function of beneficial intestinal bacteria. An imbalance in the gut-flora is “a cause or a contributory cause for diseases in multiple body systems, ranging from the digestive system to the immune, cardiovascular, respiratory, and even the nervous system. As we progress with more research, it is likely that gut-health based diagnosis and therapy will be used, which might lead to a great knowledge leap in precise functional medicine.
As we research and find better ways to improve mind and body health, our best practice is to stick to the basics of:
- Eating well,
- Sleeping well,
- Exercising a little bit every day and
- Connecting to the self and that which is greater than the self.
When the body is struggling to overcome the stress of a chronic illness, disease or infection, IV Nutritional Therapy is another way to enhance the body’s ability to repair and regenerate.
The intention of IV Nutritional Therapy in relation to gut-brain health is to enhance this environment to promote cellular health by improving energy delivery and provide essential nutrients for proper metabolism.
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