You’ve probably had a gut feeling once or twice in your life. That’s because your gut and your brain have a special connection.
And that’s why the first sign of many brain disorders could be an upset stomach.
I often explain to patients at my wellness clinic that nerve and biochemical pathways run between your gut and brain. And these might be linked to a number of degenerative illnesses, such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, as well as mental health problems.
In fact, the gut and brain share the same nerve chemistry and, with the help of microbes in your digestive tract, these two regions of the human body have an ongoing dialogue. I think of these microbes like a kind of “biochemical telegraph” system that helps coordinate your brain, nerves, stomach and intestines.
That’s why when you feel stress and other strong emotions, such as fear, it leads to gastrointestinal symptoms that can sometimes make you feel the need to rush to the nearest restroom.
Most doctors still ignore the important role played by the 100 trillion or so microbes each of us carries in our bodies – but I’ve been fascinated by these tiny organisms and their impact on our health since I was in medical school more than 30 years ago.
Most of us like to think of ourselves as individuals – but actually our bodies are more ecosystem than individual. In fact, there are significantly more microbial cells in our bodies than human ones.
While the modern medical establishment remains focused on how to kill bacteria, I believe we need to accept the symbiotic relationship we have with them.
These single-celled bacteria in our gut – called microflora – are actually good guys. They help keep our digestive system on track by breaking down food and squeezing out the “bad bacteria.”
They also protect our nervous system. These tiny gut organisms also play an important role in regulating immune system responses, and can therefore impact the chances of people developing autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
Researchers are also now beginning to regard Parkinson’s as part autoimmune and part neurological disorder.1
The link between Parkinson’s and the health of the microbes in our gut is now undeniable.
Parkinson’s, a crippling disorder that impacts the substantia nigra area of the brain, which is necessary for the control of body movement, afflicts around one million people in the U.S.
Parkinson’s patients degenerate over time and find it increasingly difficult to walk or get out of their chair. You or a loved one may be a victim of this debilitating disease. It causes tremors, muscular weakness and muscular stiffness, and the symptoms become steadily worse until the patient passes away.
The link between the microbes and Parkinson’s was first made at Finland’s University of Helsinki. Researchers compared 72 Parkinson’s patients with 72 healthy people. And the scientists discovered the Parkinson’s patients had a severe shortage of a certain good bacteria in their guts.2
In another study, researchers found that Parkinson’s sufferers are more likely to suffer from what’s called “small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.” That happens when harmful bacteria overrun good bacteria. You can have abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion, diarrhea and even gas.3
Keeping your gut flora healthy and happy – and feeding the good guys instead of the bad guys – can help make sure you never have to worry about this terrible disease.
I am not alone in believing we need to develop a better relationship with the bacteria that live in our bodies.
It is partly this belief that has given rise to the big business of “probiotics,” whose makers tout them as ways to promote healthy digestive bacteria.
These products often come in slick-looking packages with fancy names and high price tags. But you don’t have to make Big Agra richer by buying their mass-produced probiotics.
At my wellness clinic, I teach my patients how to promote healthy flora in their guts by eating the right foods.
One of the best natural probiotics is seaweed. Good microbes hitchhike into your gut on raw seaweed. And studies show that eating even cooked seaweed promotes the growth of good bacteria.4,5 Seaweed fiber causes you to digest more slowly while it helps predigest food. The marine plants actually ferment in the digestive tract, releasing compounds called polysaccharides, on which good gut bacteria thrive.
Seaweed also provides numerous minerals and hard-to-get vitamins, like B12, that bolster the immune system and provide a more robust environment for healthy microflora . You can buy several varieties of seaweed at health food and specialty grocers. And each variety has its own advantages. Dish out arame for potassium, kombu for iodine, nori for B12, protein and omega-3s and wakame for calcium and magnesium.
Basil is also a great natural probiotic, because it combats a host of bad bacteria, including E. coli, listeria and staphylococcus. The herb is an arsenal of antioxidant flavonoids, which help protect our cells from the damaging waste products our body creates during normal biochemical reactions.
I also recommend kefir, a staple of herders in Asia’s Caucasus Mountains. It tastes like a yogurt milkshake, but its slightly sour fermented milk taste has more protein and less sugar then regular yogurt. This is a potent way to restore the good bacteria to your digestive system, especially after an antibiotic treatment. You might try adding it to smoothies or drizzling it over salads and fruits.
Meanwhile, fermented cabbage, better known as sauerkraut, delivers billions of beneficial microbes with every mouthful. Avoid canned or packaged kraut, because the processing kills good bacteria.
But my favorite is omega-3. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in krill oil or squid oil, encourage a healthy digestive system where microflora can thrive.6,7,8 Omega-3s also reduce inflammation, which can help microflora ward off many diseases, such as colitis. I recommend you get at least 1,000 mg of omega-3s every day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
1. Cebrián, C., et al. “MHC-I expression renders catecholaminergic neurons susceptible to T-cell-mediated degeneration.” nature.com/ncomms/2014/140416/ncomms4633/full/ncomms4633.html, April 16, 2014.
2. Scheperjans, F., et al. “Gut microbiota are related to Parkinson’s disease and clinical phenotype.” Movement Disorders, 2014; DOI: 10.1002/mds.26069.
3. Gabrielli, M., et al. “Prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in Parkinson’s disease.” Movement Disorders. 2011 Apr;26 (5):889-92.
4. Ko, S.J. et al., “Laminaria japonica combined with probiotics improves intestinal microbiota: a randomized clinical trial.” J Med Food. 2014 Jan;17(1):76-82. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2013.3054.
5. Develle, C., et al. “Study on the effects of laminarin, a polysaccharide from seaweed, on gut characteristics.”
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 07/2007; 87:1717-1725. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.2901
6. Qiurong Li. “Fish oil enhances recovery of intestinal microbiota and epithelial integrity in chronic rejection of intestinal transplant.” http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0020460. June 17, 2011, retrieved Jan. 27, 2015.
7. Belluzzi, A., et al. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 71:339S-42S.
8. Clark, John O., M.D., et al. A Review of Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Immunomodulation. Nutr Clin Pract. February 2008 vol. 23 no. 1 49-62. doi: 10.1177/011542650802300149