Depression is not an antidepressant deficiency. In fact, for the 40% of Americans complaining of gut symptoms, depression may be one of those symptoms.
Studies have found that the inflammatory signals in the gut can travel to the brain, triggering depression.
Clinically, I have seen many patients resolve their depression simply by dampening gut inflammation.
Gut health problems are also associated with anxiety, stress, poor immune resilience, and even Alzheimer’s.
Depression is a red flag
Depression is often a red flag that modern diets, excess sugar or alcohol consumption, food sensitivities, microbiome imbalances, and chronic infection are inflaming the gut.
When inflammatory molecules, such as cytokines, cross the blood-brain barrier, they disrupt the neurotransmitters crucial for regulating mood and emotions.
These cytokines also inflame the brain, slowing conduction between nerves and causing brain fog, depression, fatigue, and loss of motivation.
The role of “leaky gut” in depression
Intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut, is a condition in which the gut lining becomes compromised, allowing substances to leak into the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the brain.
We often see this accompanied by a “leaky brain,” or a compromised blood-brain barrier. A leaky brain allows inflammatory compounds into the brain to activate brain inflammation and trigger depression.
Fixing the gut: more than just taking a probiotic
While some may see relief from depression by taking probiotics, many will not. The gut microbiome’s interaction with the brain is more complex than that.
Instead, what’s more often required is an inflammatory overhaul to remove triggers from the diet, stabilize blood sugar, manage any chronic infections, and shore up other areas of imbalance.
Clinical strategies to dampen gut inflammation include:
- Adopting a whole-food diet similar to what our pre-industrial ancestors ate.
- Identifying and addressing food sensitivities.
- Improving gut microbiome health and diversity.
- Addressing leaky gut (intestinal permeability).
- Addressing common gut infections, such as H. pylori, candida, parasites, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
- Addressing breakdowns in the digestive tract, such as gastric ulcers, insufficient stomach acid, poor gallbladder function, insufficient pancreatic enzyme release, leaky gut, poor motility, and potential gastrointestinal autoimmunity.
A personalized gut-healing approach can have profound impacts on depression, energy, and motivation—factors that antidepressants do not address.
