How Gut Health Affects Mental Health By Dr. Kathy Veon
The gut is often referred to as the ‘second brain’ because of the intricate relationship between gut heath and brain health. The gut-brain axis plays a very important role in regulating mood, cognitive function, and digestion.
In fact, the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is the second most complex system in the body, affecting digestion, endocrine health, hormone balance, stress response, immune responses, and much more. Keep reading to learn more about this very special relationship between the gut and the brain.
Support Gut Health for Better Mood and Sleep!
The Gut-Brain Axis – How Gut Health Affects Mental Health By Dr. Kathy Veon
How did the gut-brain axis develop? Interestingly, the brain and the gut lining develop from the same part of the embryo. As the embryo continues development into the fetus stage, the brain and gut are physically separated, yet remain connected through the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve is a bi-directional communication pathway between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract. Gut-brain axis health is very important in the understanding and treatment of health issues such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), depression, anxiety, psychiatric disorders, and PTSD.
Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA are stimulated by the microbes that live in the gut. When these microbes are damaged and the microbiome becomes imbalanced or unhealthy, several systems are negatively affected and mood and sleep can suffer.
The microbiome affects other biochemical reactions in the body such as:
- Cortisol (negative feedback stress)
- Estrogen Dominance / Hormone Dysregulation
- Poor Immune System Signaling / Cytokine Dysfunction
- Increased Systemic Inflammation
- Cognitive Impairment
- Neurological Disorders
Many holistic medical practices such as Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, Functional Medicine, and Clinical Nutrition practices all have something in common in that they strive to heal and support gut health before moving on to heal any other issues the patient is having. The gut really is the foundation of our health. Without a healthy microbiome and gastrointestinal function, a person cannot fully heal any other health concern.
- Pesticides and Chemicals including Glyphosates
- Repeated Antibiotic Use
- Sugar and Processed Foods
- EMF’s (wireless technology)
- Infections
- Emotional Stress
- Poor Sleep Patterns
- Lack of Exercise
Zenbiome Cope contains the B.longum 1714, plus bioavailable forms of B6, B12, and Saffron for improved ability to convert glutamate to GABA, and 5-HTP to serotonin.
Zenbiome Sleep contains the B.longum 1714, plus lemon balm and L-theanine for serotonin, GABA, dopamine, and alpha brain wave support for deeper relaxation.
Keep Up With Dr. Kathy Veon
Dr. Kathy Veon, DAOM, AP, CCN is a graduate of Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica, CA as well as Florida College of Integrative Medicine in Orlando, Florida.
She is a board-certified Licensed Acupuncturist, Certified Clinical Nutritionist, and Doctor of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine. Dr. Veon is currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Florida Board of Acupuncture, and Committee Chair of Continuing Education for the International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists (IAACN).
She holds a private practice in Lake Mary, Florida at Central Florida Preventive Medicine where she specializes in holistic medicine therapies such as Functional Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, Quantum Reflex Analysis (QRA), Acupuncture, Pelotherapy, NAET (allergy elimination technique), Western and Chinese Herbology, Nutrigenomic Testing and Nutritional Therapies, EVOX Perception Reframing, Environmental Medicine and helping her patients overcome chronic and debilitating illnesses through finding and correcting the root causes of disease.
Our office has numerous services to assist people with achieving a good foundation of health – please visit the services page now to learn more. To learn about the other diseases that our medical office handles – please visit the diseases page now. Furthermore, to learn more about Doctor Kathy Veon now – visit her Linkedin page – just click this link.
