Several studies have shown an association between the gut and the brain, known as the gut-brain axis. According to an Instagram post by gut health expert and nutritionist Smriti Kochar, poor gut health can lead to anxiety and depression in individuals. 

“Automatic negative thoughts – This is one symptom of anxiety that no one talks about, because no one thinks it’s a symptom. People who deal with this often end up blaming themselves, that I have become this negative person who just can’t think better! But that’s not true. It’s not your personality that has altered, but most likely your gut!” Kochar wrote.

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She added that when one suffers acidity, constipation, or gut inflammation, the brain can often face the consequences. “You get anxious, sometimes you get panic attacks, you forget things easily. This is not a coincidence,” she stated.

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“It is time we stop thinking of these mental issues as something that just happens on its own. Everything in our body is linked to inflammation and deficiencies and can be corrected naturally to a large, large extent with no use of medication at all,” Kochar added.

According to Harvard Health, several studies have found that psychological approaches can show significant improvement in patients with gut issues compared to conventional medical approaches.

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Furthermore, a study conducted by the King’s College in London found out that patients with psychosis, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder had a significantly less amount of two anti-inflammatory gut microbiome, faecalibacterium and coprococcus.

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Moreover, large levels of eggerthella, a bacterium that causes inflammation, were found in individuals with these psychological conditions.