If you’ve been struggling to find a cure for your brain fog, anxiety, or depression, taking stock of your digestive health probably isn’t high on your priority list. In fact, you’d probably never guess that your brain and your gut share much, if anything, in common-let alone that this link could actually be hiding the answer you’ve been looking for in order to improve your mood and well-being. And if you’re not familiar with the gut-brain link, you may be in for a surprise.

That’s because emerging research now suggests that your imbalanced digestive environment could mean more than just a sensitive stomach-it could make for some very noticeable changes in your nervous system too… including depression and chronic fatigue.1-2

In a recent study of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), researchers discovered a significant verbal IQ deficit (that is, a reduced ability to recall words) when comparing this population’s scores with those of healthy controls-a connection that’s hardly surprising when you consider that 94 percent of IBS sufferers also show signs of major depression and anxiety.3-4

And the link doesn’t end there-chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is another example of the strong connection between both gut and cognitive health, with nearly half of all CFS patients reporting symptoms of both depression and IBS.5-6 Finally, ongoing research continues to implicate leaky gut, as well as harmful bacteria and yeast overgrowth, as potential factors in childhood autism development.7-8

The good news? There’s more than one way to keep your gut health-and your cognitive health-safely and naturally in check.

For starters, try a good probiotic. Not only do your levels of these healthy intestinal bacteria decline with age, but factors like illness, stress, and certain drugs (including antibiotics and pain-relieving NSAIDs) can take their toll as well. Supplementing with different strains of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria (as in VRP’s BioPRO) can counteract these damaging changes-strengthening your gut and your mood as a result.

Numerous clinical trials have shown that one of the probiotic strains found in BioPRO (B. infantis) can curb intestinal inflammation, while animal studies have revealed similar results-in the form of significantly reduced levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha.9-10 What’s more, research also shows that various probiotic combinations can actually improve short-term memory and concentration in chronic fatigue patients, while boosting levels of tryptophan, a critical factor in adequate serotonin production and depression relief.11

Other gut-soothing compounds include glutamine (to strengthen your intestinal wall), oligosaccharides (which are potent prebiotics that support the growth of the probiotic bacteria), DGL (shown to fight H. pylori), N-acetyl glucosamine (for tissue repair), marshmallow root (to protect mucous membranes), berberine (to control inflammation), cabbage and phosphatidycholine (to alleviate and heal ulcer pain), slippery elm (to protect against excess acidity), and Gamma oryzanol (to enhance gastric movement).12-21 You’ll find all of these ingredients as part of GI Cell Support – a comprehensive natural formula to ensure peak digestive health-and optimal mental well-being-for life.

Reference:

1. Desbonnet L, Garrett L, Clarke G, Bienenstock J, Dinan TG. The probiotic Bifidobacteria infantis: An assessment of potential antidepressant properties in the rat. J Psychiatr Res. 2008 Dec;43(2):164-74.

2. Forsythe P, Sudo N, Dinan T, Taylor VH, Bienenstock J. Mood and gut feelings. Brain Behav Immun. 2009 May 28.

3. Dancey CP, Attree EA, Stuart G, Wilson C, Sonnet A. Words fail me: the verbal IQ deficit in inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2009 Jun;15(6):852-7.

4. Whitehead WE, Palsson O, Jones KR. Systematic review of the comorbidity of irritable bowel syndrome with other disorders: what are the causes and implications? Gastroenterology. 2002 Apr;122(4):1140-56.

5. Rao AV, Bested AC, Beaulne TM, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a probiotic in emotional symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Gut Pathog. 2009 Mar 19;1(1):6.

6. Maes M, Mihaylova I, Leunis JC. Increased serum IgA and IgM against LPS of enterobacteria in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): indication for the involvement of gram-negative enterobacteria in the etiology of CFS and for the presence of an increased gut-intestinal permeability. J Affect Disord. 2007 Apr;99(1-3):237-40.

7. White JF. Intestinal pathophysiology in autism. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2003 Jun;228(6):639-49.

8. Parracho HM, Bingham MO, Gibson GR, McCartney AL. Differences between the gut microflora of children with autistic spectrum disorders and that of healthy children. J Med Microbiol. 2005 Oct;54(Pt 10):987-91.

9. Brenner DM, Chey WD. Bifidobacterium infantis 35624: a novel probiotic for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Rev Gastroenterol Disord. 2009 Winter;9(1):7-15.

10. O’Mahony L, McCarthy J, Kelly P, et al. Lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in irritable bowel syndrome: symptom responses and relationship to cytokine profiles. Gastroenterology. 2005 Mar;128(3):541-51.

11. Sullivan A, Nord CE, Evengà rd B. Effect of supplement with lactic-acid producing bacteria on fatigue and physical activity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Nutr J. 2009 Jan 26;8:4.

12. Miller AL. Therapeutic considerations of L-glutamine: a review of the literature. Altern Med Rev. 1999 Aug;4(4):239-48.

13. Maes M, Leunis JC. Normalization of leaky gut in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is accompanied by a clinical improvement: effects of age, duration of illness and the translocation of LPS from gram-negative bacteria. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2008 Dec;29(6):902-10.

14. German JB, Freeman SL, Lebrilla CB, Mills DA. Human milk oligosaccharides: evolution, structures and bioselectivity as substrates for intestinal bacteria. Nestle Nutr Workshop Ser Pediatr Program. 2008;62:205-18; discussion 218-22.

15. Rees WD, Rhodes J, Wright JE, Stamford LF, Bennett A. Effect of deglycyrrhizinated liquorice on gastric mucosal damage by aspirin. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1979;14(5):605-7.

16. Larkworthy W, Holgate PF. Deglycyrrhizinized liquorice in the treatment of chronic duodenal ulcer. A retrospective endoscopic survey of 32 patients. Practitioner. 1975 Dec;215(1290):787-92.

17. Salvatore S, Heuschkel R, Tomlin S, et al. A pilot study of N-acetyl glucosamine, a nutritional substrate for glycosaminoglycan synthesis, in paediatric chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2000 Dec;14(12):1567-79.

18. Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.

19. Fukuda K, Hibiya Y, Mutoh M, et al. Inhibition by berberine of cyclooxygenase-2 transcriptional activity in human colon cancer cells. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999;66:227-33.

20. Cheney G (1952). “Vitamin U Therapy of Peptic Ulcer”. California Medicine. 77 (4): 248-52.

21. Stremmel W, Ehehalt R, Autschbach F, Karner M. Phosphatidylcholine for steroid-refractory chronic ulcerative colitis: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Nov 6;147(9):603-10.

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