Supporting your microbiome properly is like having a natural internal stress vaccine that activates automatically and on demand, whenever you need it, and diet has been shown in dozens of studies to be the most direct, immediate, and critical factor in maintaining a healthy microbiome, as well as the health of the gut-brain, the heart-brain, and the head-brain. As a result, diet is intimately linked with both mental wellness and physical health, and specific dietary interventions have been shown to be more effective than prescription antidepressant drugs in alleviating depression and antianxiety drugs (anxiolytics) in quelling anxiety, both in the initial effects to help you feel better quickly and in terms of long-term prevention of future relapse.
Substantial changes in gut microbiome balance are measurable within as little as 24 hours following dietary change. For example, switching volunteers from a Western diet, one high in sugar, salt, and fat, to a diet higher in fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, increases microbiome diversity and reduces systemic inflammation with 48 hours.
Perhaps the best studied dietary format for improving both microbiome balance and psychological mood state is the Mediterranean diet, which consists mostly of whole grains, nuts, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, with moderate consumption of poultry and fish and red meat consumed sparingly. Such dietary patterns result in distinctive improvements in gut microbiome balance and dramatically reduce the incidence of neuroinflammatory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric conditions such as depression, and cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack and stroke.