The bacteria that inhabit our gut are surprisingly vital to our brain functioning and mental health. Fermented vegetables, beans, grains, condiments, tea, and milk products are rich in microbes that support balance and optimal functioning in our central nervous system. Imbalance can be a root cause of anxiety and depression.
Maybe the relationship is not so surprising, though, when we look to our roots. Humans around the world have been eating fermented foods for millennia. Since our settlement patterns, agriculture practices, soil composition, food preparation skills, and diets have changed so drastically in the past couple hundred years, most of us (surely anyone reading this post) have been disconnected from our traditional sources of nourishment. This includes, fundamentally, fermented foods.
Increasingly, Western medicine acknowledges that the resulting dysregulation of the gut-brain axis is a significant contributor to mental health disorders. Research in the field of nutritional psychiatry shows that our microbiome serves as a two-way mediator between the gut and the nervous system. By regulating neurotransmitters, inflammation, and hormone functioning, gut microbes are influencing both the digestive system and the nervous system in various ways, impacting our stress response, anxiety, and mood.
Consider trying fermented foods that your ancestors ate as well as fermented foods local to the area where you live now (if you are not indigenous to the land you live, you’ll notice these are distinct. This is a great way to enhance the health of your gut-brain axis while simultaneously exploring the relationships between your ancestors, culture, body, and land.
Fermented Psychiatry Variety Pack:
Fermented veggie dishes like kimchi, curtido, pickles, and sauerkraut
Fermented bean dishes like tempeh, miso, and fermented tofu
Fermented grain products like dosa (rice + lentil crepe), sowans (oat porridge), and sourdough bread
Fermented dairy products like yogurt, kefir, lassi, and sour cream
Fermented condiments like gochujang, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, yongfen chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, and fish sauce
Fermented drinks like kombucha, kvass, pu-erh, and other dark tea
Try a variety until you find what hits the spot for you, and include those in your diet every day if you’d like to support your mental health in this way.