John Mayer already knew: "Your body is a wonderland". Sure, he had something more superficial in mind with that lyric. Nevertheless, he is fundamentally right. The human body is a wonderland, one to be nurtured and nurtured. The right diet plays a decisive role in this, as various studies have shown. Anyone who wants to keep their body strong, both physically and mentally, pays attention to what they put into it. After all, you don't fill up a Ferrari with liquid manure. Scientists at APC Microbiome Ireland now want to have found out what should end up on the plate when times are particularly stressful: fermented foods and fiber.
Whether we are doing well or not is largely related to our microbiome. The microbiome refers to all microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, in our body. Among other things, it influences our immune system, metabolism, but also our perception of stress. One reason for this could be the gut-brain axis. The two organs communicate constantly with each other. Can a change in diet reduce stress levels? The research team examined it. 45 people between the ages of 18 and 59 took part in the four-week study. All participants were healthy. During this time, half of the group ate what is known as a psychobiotic diet, while the control group only received general nutritional recommendations.
The psychobiotic diet included fruits and vegetables high in prebiotic fibers such as bananas and cabbage, cereals and legumes - multiple servings of each per day. On top of that, the participants should eat fermented foods like kefir and sauerkraut. A balance was drawn up after four weeks. And indeed, the participants who ate a psychobiotic diet as part of the study felt less stressed than those in the control group. The people who ate more of these foods during the study period experienced the greatest improvement. They also slept better than before.
Hans Hauner, Professor of Nutritional Medicine at the Technical University of Munich, described our intestinal flora as "quarks" like a personal fingerprint. This forms very early in life, at birth and in the first few months afterwards. In adults, the gut biome is quite stable. So, can the microbiome really be altered by a simple change in diet?
The study scientists themselves speak of only subtle "changes in the composition and function of microbes in the gut. However, we observed significant changes in the amount of certain key chemicals produced by these gut microbes." Only a few people took part in the study, but whether the observed effects can also be transferred to the general population needs to be researched. It is also unclear "whether these results can also be repeated in people with stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression," writes the team.
By the way, if you don't feel like eating sauerkraut all the time for the sake of your health, you don't have to worry - chocolate, beer, cheese and yoghurt are also among the fermented foods.
Quellen:Neuroscience News, Cell, Quarks
