Mental & Digestive Health

The Potential Link Between Probiotic Diets & Mental Health

We have all experienced digestive side effects from stress and anxiety at some point in our lives, but new mental health research suggests that the mind/gut connection could be a two-way street. Your gastrointestinal track is second only to the brain itself when it comes to the number of neurons it houses, and behavioral studies have long focused on digestive health as much as they have focused on neurological health.

Researchers at McMaster University compared two groups of mice; one group had normal levels of gut bacteria, while the other was stripped of such microbes. The microbe-free group exhibited less cautious behavior and had higher levels of cortisol and BDNF, two chemicals associated with anxiety and depression in humans. The common-sense link between what we eat and how we feel, as well as new research findings, has led some psychiatrists to action. Dr. James Greenblatt of Boston has begun prescribing a probiotic diet for certain anxiety disorders. During a recent interview, he told reporters, “Each year, I get more and more impressed at how important the GI tract is for healthy mood and the controlling of behavior.”

Though the evidence is mounting, it is still inconclusive. If you suffer from debilitating stress, anxiety, or depression, you should consult a physician immediately. However, if you have reason to believe that your changes in mood are related to your diet, or if you would like to pursue a natural path with no known negative side-effects, talk to your doctor about the current research on the link between probiotics and mental health.

Vitamin B1 & Where It Comes From

B vitamins are commonly lumped into just one vitamin, but the truth is there are in fact eight different B vitamins that carry out a variety of important cellular functions from metabolism to overall cell health to DNA synthesis. In this article, we will touch on vitamin B1 which is otherwise known as thiamine, its importance to your bodily health, and how you can make it a staple of your diet.

Thiamine is most commonly found in its thiamine pyrophosphate form which helps in the catabolizing of sugars and amino acids in your body, but this vitamin does not naturally occur in the human body. It does, however, form in foods humans eat like vegetables and fungi as well as some forms of bacteria.

So why is vitamin B1 so important? Your body’s nervous system is especially dependent on steady levels of thiamine. Thusly, nervous system-related diseases have been known to be linked to thiamine deficiencies. Alzheimer’s disease and optic neuropathy are a few examples of cases where thiamine deficiency can be part of the cause. Adversely, patients with such ailments have shown improvements in their overall health after thiamine treatments were administered. All of this leads to finding out how to make thiamine part of your diet for preventative reasons.

Thiamine can be found in whole grains like wheat flour, oatmeal, and brown rice. Vegetables and leafy greens like kale, cauliflower, and asparagus are also great sources of B1. For your protein foods, look to liver and eggs. You can also find thiamine produced via microbes like the following:

• Fungi like your various, common, edible mushrooms.
• Protista like algae which can be consumed in the form of seaweed.
• Yeast bacteria like Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is regularly used in baking and is a component of the powerful, all-natural PRO-EM 1 probiotic supplement.

With attention to whole, nutrient-dense foods and beneficial probiotics from TeraGanix, you can maintain healthy, stable thiamine levels to give your body all it needs to develop and keep a strong nervous system for fighting off disease.

Digestive Enzymes: Where Do They Come From?

Crucial for the proper absorption of various nutrients in your food, digestive enzymes are part of the foundation of proper nourishment, a good immune system, and a myriad of other health-related issues. Digestive enzymes break down the various components of your food such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats and convert them so they can be absorbed into your body to build new cells.

While your body produces its own enzymes, it’s important to receive enzymes from the food you eat as well. Processed foods are devoid of enzymes and cooking your foods deactivates their natural enzymes, thus making it even more important to keep raw, organic foods a staple of your diet.

Digestive enzymes are the catalyst for proper digestion and getting the most out of your foods. Not only will they make you healthier, they can aid in the prevention of disease and even reduce recovery time from injuries and surgeries. Making sure they are a part of your diet is no different than the steps you’d take if you follow some of our other health-related blogs. Fill your diet with raw, organic fruits and vegetables, maintain a healthy, active lifestyle to increase your metabolism as digestive enzymes help promote metabolic efficiency, and limit your intake of processed foods.

Using probiotics as a complementary means of increasing your enzyme intake is also a great option. PRO EM-1, a revolutionary, daily probiotic, contains a number of microbes that produce digestive enzymes. They include but are not limited to:

•    Lactobacillus casei which is a bacterium that produces the amylase enzyme which aides in the digestion of carbohydrates.

•    Lactobacillus bulgaricus which is a bacterium that produces the lactase enzyme which assists in the digestion of lactose, making it especially helpful for lactose-intolerant people.

•    Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is a type of yeast that produces protease enzymes which help with protein digestion.