Diet & Anxiety

Scientists were interested in the relationship between diet and anxiety.

Rats and humans share many brain and body similarities.  In this study, 12 adolescent rats were fed a controlled diet, and 12 rats were fed a high-fat diet, for 9 weeks.

Researchers discovered that the rats that were fed a high-fat diet experienced:

• Increased inflammation in the brain,

• Increased anxiety behaviors, and

• Decreased diversity in the gut microbiome.

In humans, scientists are learning more about the importance of the gut microbiome to health and disease.  Diets that are high in fat and sugar can decrease beneficial bacteria, which can increase inflammation.  Compromised gut microbiome health impacts the serotonin system in the brain, which could explain why a high-fat diet increased anxiety in the rats.

The researchers concluded that, “this knowledge could lead to new microbiome-based approaches to prevent stress-related psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorders.”

Takeaway:  Decreasing fat and sugar, and increasing fruit, vegetables, and fiber can improve gut microbiome balance, reduce inflammation, improve immune function, and reduce anxiety.

Well-being is a journey, not a quick fix.

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Source

Sylvana I. S. Rendeiro de Noronha, et al., High-fat diet, microbiome-gut-brain axis signaling, and anxiety-like behavior in male rats | Biological Research | Full Text, May 6, 2024.