Food additives and their impact on anxiety

14.09.2019
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Food additives and their impact on anxiety

As unusual as it may seem to us, there is a strong connection between our mental balance and the integrity of the intestinal microflora. The brain and gastrointestinal tract communicate directly through the intestine-microbiome-brain axis, which will generate mood changes when the "good" bacteria in the body suffer.

The intestinal microflora is influenced by diet, because it supports the diversity of our trillions of micro-organisms, viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses that exist inside the intestine. They play essential roles in supporting the physiological functions of the body. The number of vitamins, fibers and proteins that we get from food has a huge impact on these micro-organisms because it helps them to reproduce and keep the balance of bacteria that are considered beneficial, and those that have a negative impact upon your health.

Can additives in processed foods influence our mental state?

Studies show that processed food, because of the emulsifiers it has in its composition, over time affects the health of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. They cause inflammation, which, in turn, impact on how people react to stress or cope with anxiety.

Fast food, fried food, carbonated drinks, foods rich in trans fats (pastries, pretzels, biscuits), refined sweets affect and reduce the number of bacteria of the intestinal microflora. Constant communication between the brain and the intestine causes any condition of the latter to lead to changes or cognitive disorders such as:

  • Anxiety

  • Parkinson's

  • Alzheimer's

  • Compulsive-obsessive disorder

  • ADHD

Food additives, sugar, colors, preservatives or flavors, they're destroying the diversity of the microflora of the intestine, which will affect the way your body handles the synthesis of certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin or dopamine. The large intestine's role is to synthesize 90% of our serotonin, and more than 50% of the dopamine, not the brain, as is commonly believed, and they are deeply involved in the processes that determine the way in which an individual manages the states of fear, stress or anxiety.

Because of this, we need to be extremely careful about the types of food we choose to include in our daily diet. Food additives in processed food act against the layer of mucus that separates these "good" bacteria and the wall of the intestine. The connection between the health of the gastrointestinal tract, and on the level of your anxiety is becoming more and more obvious, the researchers succeeding to find a causal link between the lower number of the bacteria that compose the intestinal microflora of the patients who are suffering from anxiety, as compared with that of a control group consisting of healthy individuals.

How can we balance the intestinal microbiome?

In addition to avoiding dishes containing food additives, it is preferable to include in your daily habits the consumption of food with probiotic and prebiotic properties. Prebiotic foods have the role to favor the development of "good" bacteria, and among them we can find:

  • Whole grains

  • Onions

  • Garlic

  • Bananas

  • Beans

Probiotic foods are those that contain live bacteria that are favorable for the intestinal flora. Of these we can remember:

  • Kefir

  • Yoghurt

  • Pickles

  • Cabbage

  • Kimchi


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