Our nutritional health affects almost every process in the human body.

And nutrition gives us energy.  A body without food is like a car without fuel, and we certainly wouldn’t put bad fuel in our car. Just like a car, consistently putting bad fuel into our bodies can have a detrimental effect.

For example, if you are a vegetarian, you may not have enough iron in your diet, or if you exclude dairy from your diet, you may not have enough calcium. Such insufficiency is well known for causing various health problems such as anaemia and brittle bones.

But what you may not know is that a lack of particular vitamins or minerals in our diet may also negatively affect our mental health. And it’s not surprising when you learn that the brain and the gastrointestinal systems are so closely linked.

Have you ever had “butterflies in your stomach”? Or been in a “gut-wrenching” situation? These phrases are used for a reason.

Your gastrointestinal system is sensitive to emotion – so whether you feel angry, sad, anxious or excited, this emotion may appear as symptoms in your stomach. The brain can even trigger the release of stomach juices just by thinking about your next meal.

And the connection can work both ways, as the gut-brain relationship is bidirectional. A troubled digestive system can send signals of pain or discomfort to the brain, and can therefore be the cause of mental illbeing.

Low levels of B-12 and other B vitamins such as vitamin B-6 and folate in particular are linked to depression. And this is because they play a role in producing brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. 

It’s therefore important to monitor whether nutritionally you are getting enough of these vitamins in your diet, which may in fact by the source of your mental illbeing. Our scientists at Randox Health thoroughly analyse up to 350 of your body’s biological markers to reveal what’s happening in your body, and if it turns out that a gut imbalance is having an effect on your mental health, there’s something you can do about it.

Determining the appropriate treatment may be as simple as eating more eggs, milk, cheese, milk products, meat, fish, shellfish or poultry, which are known sources of Vitamin B12.

So take control of your health – find out if your stomach problems are contributing to your mental concerns.

Contact the Randox Health team today.

Tel: 0800 2545 130

Email:info@randoxhealthni.com