Gut Health Tips with Renowned Dietician Frances Largeman-Roth
Gut health is gaining significant attention these past few years - for good reason! In addition to supporting healthy digestion and nutrient absorption, studies show a healthy microbiome in your gut may actually help regulate mood. Research has revealed an immense communication network between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system, referred to as the “gut–brain axis.”
What does this mean to you: fostering a health gut microbiome can help support immunity, energy levels, healthy skin conditions, and maybe even brighten your mood! Good mood foods are becoming easier and tastier to add into your diet with simple, everyday life hacks.
Our friends at Yum Butter talked to renowned Registered Dietician and best selling author Frances Largeman-Roth for tricks and recipes you need to up your gut-health game. Frances served as the Food and Nutrition Director at Health magazine for nearly eight years and has been a frequent guest on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The Dr. Oz Show and more! Below, Frances shares her recommendations for parents, vegans, and on-the-go professionals.
Your Gut May Need TLC When…
- Your skin isn’t as clear as you’d like: acne, eczema, psoriasis, etc.
- You consistently feel like a zombie, despite getting solid rest
- You have frequent yeast infections
- Your gut is sassy and gassy: constipation, irregularity, bloating, acid reflux, diarrhea
Good Mood Food 😊
Neurogastroenterology research has identified and conducted extensive research on the gut-brain axis. This is the biochemical link between your central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Essentially, there’s two-way communication between your GI tract and your brain in the form of neurotransmitters like adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), adrenaline, and noradrenaline.
Improving the GI microbiome may help modulate mood and prevent against low mood, the primary symptom of depression. According to a study published in Annals of General Psychiatry, probiotics do this by increasing the “growth factor crucial for brain plasticity, memory, and neuronal health that is abnormally reduced in patients suffering from depression." Further, probiotics increase the levels of tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin.