Mood Disorders

Mental health starts in the gut

The fascinating findings suggest that gut bacteria created neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Researchers have been findings new ways that these trillions of bacteria in sometimes hundreds of species can impact human health, from obesity to immune conditions and inflammation. And there is now ample evidence to suggest that they also influence human behavior and mental wellbeing.

It’s well established that those suffering from depressive disorders demonstrate what’s called serotonin imbalance, where they don’t produce enough of this “feel good” chemical. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, for example Prozac) work not because they increase the amount of serotonin, but because they prevent the body from reabsorbing what’s already made, making it more available.

Serotonin is a complicated substance that’s known to play an important role in social behavior, mood, sleep cycles, appetite, and digestion. So it’s no wonder that symptoms of a low-serotonin disorder like depression include sleep and eating disturbances, low mood, social withdrawal and even digestive complaints.

The Flemish Gut Flora Project has actually discovered that depressed people have consistently depleted levels of two kinds of bacteria in their gut, Coproccocus and Dialister, and sometimes an overabundance of other bacteria. Interestingly, they found evidence suggesting it was sometimes antidepressant medication itself that was causing the differences in gut profiles between depressed and nondepressed people.

Fulvic acid restores gut health – and mental health

If poor mental health is so closely associated with gut bacterial dysregulation, it makes sense to tackle conditions like anxiety and depression by starting with the gut. Low fiber diets high in refined sugar and alcohol, antibiotic use, stress and illness can all upset a healthy microbial balance. When “good bacteria” populations are diminished, they allow “bad bacteria” to gain a foothold and thrive, causing chronic and low-grade bacterial overgrowth that triggers the immune response and causes inflammation throughout the entire body.

And since the bacteria themselves produce essential neurotransmitters, disruption to their composition can have drastic consequences for mood and overall wellbeing. Neurotransmitter levels can drop while inflammation and oxidative stress increase. This can create a vicious cycle: poor sleep and diet habits can result from low mood, but they can then stress the body further and reinforce the problem.

Fulvic acid is an all-natural health supplement that works initially in the gut, but can have significant impacts on mood and mental wellbeing. By “healing and sealing” the gut, discouraging bacterial overgrowth, and lowering inflammation, the gut’s normal function is restored and healthy bacteria recolonize.

The term “gut-brain axis” describes the complex interrelationship between gut health and mental health. While things like probiotics can help, the truth is that proper bacterial balance cannot be established until the structure and function of the intestinal membrane is restored. Fulvic acid is anti-inflammatory, and improves membrane permeability, healing the root cause often called “leaky gut.”

Though fulvic acid is certainly no cure-all, it is quickly proving to be an impressive tool to correct gut imbalances, mental health is obviously a complicated issue. Anecdotally, many people find relief from a combined approach that tackles lifestyle habits, diet, exercise, social support and therapy and medication. A supplement like fulvic acid, however, can support all these efforts since it nourishes and heals the body where it matters – in the gut.

AEON is a natural all-in-one supplement for complete health, body and mind. Containing 100% fulvic acid sourced from the pristine Canadian Rocky Mountains, AEON is the purest and most concentrated form of fulvic acid available on the market today. Users not only report improved physical health and vitality, but boosted energy levels, mental resilience and better mood.

Valles-Colomer M, Falony G, Darzi Y, et al. The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression. Nature Microbiology, 2019. doi: 10.1038/s41564-018-0337-x