Eat more plants for better mental health

The cognitive centre of your brain and your emotions are directly related to the health of your microbiome. Increasing your plant fibre intake can improve the bacteria in your gut resulting in a healthier and more diverse microbiome, which directly benefits both your mental and physical health and wellbeing. The communication between the brain and gut via the vagus nerve, often referred to as the second brain, a major mind-body highway is another reason why a healthy gut matters.

Consuming more plant fibre foods directly affects behaviour and emotions, remember 95% of the body’s Serotonin is produced in the gut, Serotonin does many things including influencing emotions particularly happiness, improving sleep, memory, learning and even helping to regulate body temperature. Another important factor for good mental health and gut health is the by-product of fibre, short chain fatty acids, produced when dietary plant fibre is broken down in the gut, and then fermented in the colon. Short chain fatty acids are a primary source of energy for cells in the gut and are linked to the decrease of stress levels and feelings of both depression and anxiety in individuals.