Your Gut is Your Second Brain

Research is your best friend if you are depressed or anxious

My friend Rhonda had a problem with mold. It started in her kitchen but soon her house was unlivable. The grunge was hiding for months but she didn’t find out until she the strange symptoms showed up: weakness, fatigue, brain fog, and joint pain.

By the time the mold was discovered, she was also depressed and anxious.

That’s when she changed. Rhonda could only talk about was how she cured herself with a wacky diet. My perspective at the time wasn’t exactly open-minded.

She couldn’t eat out in most restaurants because … gluten. Pretty soon, she couldn’t eat out ever because she was mostly eating only grass-fed beef and organic vegetables.

I smiled and nodded when we ran into each other at the Farmer’s Market, but inside I rolled my eyes.

Her boyfriend gently mocked some of the foods she ate, like “prison muffins,” concocted from eggs and a pinch of stevia, because, he said:

“They taste like muffins you’d get in prison.”

He was not wrong.

Rhonda went on to study the science of diet and leaky gut in-depth and earn a certificate.

I remained skeptical — how scientific was this theory?

Intestinal Permeability: Why We Get Autoimmune Diseases

An article by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz called When I Cut Fibre Entirely My Terrible Bloating Was Gone got me thinking: why is leaky gut still considered an unproven, fringe theory?

The truth is, intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut syndrome” has been scientifically well-established for decades.

Research studies are piled high, and they demonstrate the critical role of a healthy gut for all bodily systems, from the small intestine to the brain. There is even a simple test (the PEG400, more about this later) to measure how leaky your gut is.

Autoimmune diseases are strongly linked to intestinal permeability, the scientific term for leaky gut. For example, a study of patients with ankylosing spondylitis and their healthy relatives showed all had leaky gut, leading researchers to conclude:

“Gut permeability … is a primary defect and may be an [fundamental] factor in this disease.”

The Depression-Gut Connection

My depression decreased after switching to a gluten and dairy-free diet then disappeared with a carnivore diet. I drink gelatinous bone broth to help repair the gut and avoid fiber and vegetables.

I have been depressed since the age of 11, for over 40 years.

I am not alone, as such a diet has been to treat a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer.

I did not embark on the extreme pathway of eating only meat to cure depression, but because I have Hashimoto’s disease.

Many carnivores find that mental illness subsides or vanishes when eating only meat.

Studies show consumption of animal products is associated with improved mental health; a low carb ketogenic diet improves symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). Scientists know the gut microbiome is the link, but are still trying to understand the exact mechanism leading to relief from MDD.

A 2012 research study published in Journal of Affective Disorders showed a strong correlation between leaky gut, autoimmune response, and chronic depression. Researchers concluded:

“[Leaky gut] may play a role in the pathophysiology of (chronic) depression by causing progressive amplifications of immune pathways.”

What Puts You at Risk for Leaky Gut?

Once a person’s gut becomes permeable, molecules from food can easily enter the bloodstream. These molecules may mimic healthy tissue.

For example, a gluten protein with a molecular shape similar to thyroid tissue wreaks havoc because the body cannot distinguish between the foreign protein and healthy tissue. Because it appears similar to thyroid tissue, antibodies attack not only the foreign protein but the thyroid gland as well.

In Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients, the body attacks the myelin sheath, which protects nerves and regulates the central nervous system. These patients also have increased intestinal permeability.

Some researchers propose molecular mimicry does not cause leaky gut but exacerbates the condition.

On a practical level, theories about the cause of leaky gut have identified several factors under our control.

1. NSAIDs like Ibuprofen

Although extraordinarily useful for pain relief, some over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications are a known risk factor for leaky gut. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory OTCs are one of the most common drugs in the world.

One study assessed NSAID use and leaky gut in 286 patients and found the drugs produced inflammation in the small intestine. Aspirin and nabumetone did not create inflammation, but 10 other common NSAIDs were equally problematic. Test subjects were tested after three and six months of taking regular doses.

2. Gluten

In celiac disease, patients cannot tolerate any gluten. Once gluten-free, they regain health and their disease can be controlled. Observations of the dramatic effects of eliminating gluten led researchers to consider that other autoimmune patients might benefit from cutting out all sources of gluten in the diet.

Gluten increases intestinal permeability, cytokine production, and affects T-cells, among its many negative effects.

Cutting out wheat is often not enough, as many grains (even “gluten-free” versions) are cross-contaminated.

3. Smoking and drinking

To no one’s surprise, cigarettes and alcohol contribute to a leaky gut. Alcohol depletes stomach bacteria, while smoking alters the gut microbiome and has been associated with Crohn’s disease.

A 2014 study showed alcohol alters the gut lining. Chronic use is particularly harmful, with researchers concluding:

“Alcohol [changes] the expression of the tight junction‑associated proteins [that create the gut barrier]…which are two major sites of alcohol action, thus increasing intestinal epithelial barrier permeability.”

4. Sugar, especially in liquid form

If you suspect you have a leaky gut, perhaps the first change to make is to give up sugar.

Patients with functional bowel disorders like Crohn’s disease are warned away from a range of carbohydrates, but fructose is particularly gut damaging.

In experiments on fruit flies, sugar caused the greatest degree of intestinal permeability.

Juices and sodas are the worst forms of sugar, disrupting the liver-gut axis. Consumption of fructose is highly correlated with metabolic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes. If you value your health, you will limit sugar to fruits in small amounts.

5. Viral infections

Type 1 diabetes has long been associated with a reaction to cow’s milk. Type 1 diabetics also have increased intestinal permeability.

A 2006 study showed several viruses in children caused them to develop an “enhanced immune response” to insulin, and in some cases full-blow diabetes. The insulin in cow’s milk appears to be a trigger.

6. Physical stress

Leaky gut doesn’t just affect humans but has been studied in many animals. A study of fruit flies (who have a digestive system remarkably similar to humans) elegantly compared how sugar, salt, and other chemicals affect the intestinal barrier.

A study on horses demonstrated how physical stress can be a major factor in developing leaky gut syndrome.

Researchers note that physical stress for humans can range from endurance sports to pregnancy.

Leaky Gut May Be Reversible

The new paradigm among researchers is that autoimmune disease is treatable by changing the gut microbiome. It is possible to re-establish a healthy intestinal barrier.

This is a confusing topic because many people believe that the key to a healthy gut is lots of fiber in the form of fruits and vegetables and prebiotics. In fact, as Dr. Mehmet Yildiz explains, dietary fiber is often the problem.

The first step is to get a test to assess leaky gut, but they aren’t easy to find. The PEG400 is considered the simplest and most straightforward way to measure gut permeability. The test requires drinking a liquid solution, then collecting urine for the next six hours. The lab analyzes 11 different-sized molecules that may enter the bloodstream.

Unfortunately, the PEG400 is specialized and not available in the US. The good news: the test can be done via mail by contacting a clinic in either the UK or Hungary.

Conclusions

It can be frustrating to hear “gut health is everything” without knowing what to do about it. This is a bit like the eponymous advice to “just lose weight.” Yet, we know far more today about what it means to have a healthy gut than we did even five years ago.

The relationship between mental health and the gut is now clearly established, and anyone can take the proper steps to heal.

You don’t need to adopt a full carnivore diet tomorrow, or throw away all your ibuprofen — but anyone with a mood disorder should consider talking to their doctor or seeking out a functional medicine practitioner for guidance on how to heal the gut.

It may be the best decision you’ve ever made for your health and your mood.