Gut Feelings Trial

Over the fall season, Erin Brower LMHC and I have been leading a series on Neuroplasticity where we have been highlighting why our brains may get stuck in certain maladaptive patterns and ways to support the brain in making positive healthful changes. Nutrition is one often overlooked component in brain health; in mood, memory and cognition and stress tolerance. There are so many aspects of nutrition that are worth talking about but we just devoted one part of the series and wanted to share some of that information with our readers

GUT FEELINGS TRIAL RESULTS

I wanted to share the results of a neat study called the “Gut Feelings” trial (see below for links). This is a 2 month interventional study with four arms comparing the impacts of the following interventions on mood.

• Diet high in prebiotics (food for the bacteria aka fiber)
• Probiotics
• Probiotics + Prebiotics
• Placebo

The first thing to note is that any of these would have any impact on mood! But this is what we are learning; that the gut microbiome can impact all sorts of aspects of brain health from cognitive function like memory (check out this article2) to stress tolerance and mood (check out this article3). But the results of the Gut Feelings study were particularly interesting. It was the fiber rich diet that impacted mood and stress more than even the supplements
with probiotics.

And it’s not the fiber supplements that do it (article4), it’s is the diets rich in fiber. Aiming for roughly 25-30 grams daily of fiber from food sources confers a lot of these health benefits.

RESOURCES

You can consult the following resources, aiming for the number of servings per day of each category of high fiber foods. This is what participants of the gut feelings study used.

1. Frontiers | Effects of a high-prebiotic diet versus probiotic supplements versus synbiotics on adult mental health: The “Gut Feelings” randomized controlled trial
2. Effects of probiotics on cognitive function across the human lifespan: a meta-analysis | European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
3. Fiber intake and fiber intervention in depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials – PMC

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?

If you’re interested in learning more about Neuroplasticity, explore the resources provided above, consider a consultation with Dr. Kira, or attend an upcoming class in our Clinical Education Series.

* This post was originally printed in the Village Medicine Seattle’s Wellness Quarterly Magazine, 4Q25 Edition. Read and download the full publication

About The Author

Dr. Kira: “Naturopathic medicine has allowed me to delve deep into a way of healing that meets the person where they are at and invites them to get closer to the earth and to their higher self.” Learn more about Dr. Kira