The countdown is on to our Kale Brock Heal Your Gut Seminar next Tuesday evening. This is the final in a series of Kale Brock articles which I’m sure you have all found very interesting and enlightening. In health, Bev Dunne Go Vita Batemans Bay PROBIOTICS FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY By Kale Brock
Mental health organisation Beyond Blue says depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. In Australia, it’s estimated that 45% of people will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime. In any one year, around 1 million Australian adults have depression, and over 2 million have anxiety. In 2014, Australia’s suicide rate rose to 12% per 100,000 people, according to the Bureau of Statistics. With the drastic increase in the prevalence of such conditions, advancements in our treatment and preventative approaches may be on the way. As I wrote about in my article The Gut Brain Connection – there is a significant amount of research pointing to the gut as being causative in the development of mental health issues. One of the most striking studies regarding this phenomenon was conducted by researchers in 2011, where a team administered a specific probiotic called Lactobacillus rhamnosus to groups of rats and observed drastic changes in their neurochemistry. The researchers had two groups of mice, a control group and an experimental group, both of which were subjected to testing. What the researchers found is that by administering the probiotic to the experimental group of mice, levels of the neurotransmitter GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) were significantly increased. Importantly, GABA is involved in a very important interplay within the brain in actually dampening nerve impulses. Why is that important? GABA actually acts as a preventative measure from our brains becoming ‘too active’ if you will: essentially it calms the brain down. GABA has been shown to be in low levels of patients with anxiety and depression.The researchers also found that levels of stress-induced corticosterone (stress hormones) were reduced in the mice administered the probiotic! So being exposed to the same stressors did not affect the mice receiving probiotics as much as it did the group who did not receive the probiotic. This could also be said as the mice who received the probiotic remained more biologically calm than their counterparts who didn’t receive any Lactobacillus rhamnosus exhibited less depression-related behaviour. The study’s biggest asset, was in how the researchers then retested this theory on two new sets of mice, however they had removed the Vagus nerve in the new groups and found that the neurochemical and neurobehavioural effects were non existent! This gives huge strength to the standing that the microbes within our guts constantly communicate with our brains via the central nervous system: the vagus nerve. Expectedly, study leaders were excited about the findings. “Together these findings highlight the important role of bacteria in the bidirectional communication of the gut-brain axis and suggest that certain organisms may prove to be useful therapeutic adjuncts in stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression”. As I’ve been writing for the past few years, expect big changes in how we approach the mental health equation. Alternatives to the pharmaceutical approach are arising, specifically, the use of targeted probiotic strains with proven efficacy against such issues as depression and anxiety will come to the fore from both sides of the medicine table hopefully.
Heal Your Gut Seminar Tuesday 4th April @ 7pm In this 1 hour keynote presentation, health journalist Kale Brock shares the fundamental role the gut microbes play in your health. The presentation will cover: • A scientific round up of the gut; how it works and how it can influence your health • discussions on points of view of work experts on the microbiome • the roles played by the various microbes who live on and inside of you • why eliminating certain foods can drastically decrease the inflammation in the gut • why the addition of certain foods can drastically decrease the inflammation in the gut • why the addition of certain foods and supplements can assist in healing the gut lining • a comprehensive, gentle 8 week program for you to undertake • principles of recipe creation to ensure the foods you consume rebalance your gut Catalina Golf Club, Beach Road, Batemans Bay $25 per person Bookings essential!! at Go Vita Batemans Bay 5 North St Batemans Bay 44729737 To book online please visit us at www.govitabatemansbay.com.au This article is provided for information purposes only - all comments and inquiries are to be directed to Go Vita Batemans Bay
