These bacteria play an essential role in your health. What's more, the function of these neurons - and the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin - is highly influenced by the billions of 'good' bacteria that make up your intestinal microbiome. Since about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, and your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons, it makes sense that the inner workings of your digestive system don't just help you digest food, but also guide your emotions. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. How the foods you eat affect your mental health Today, fortunately, the burgeoning field of nutritional psychiatry is finding there are many consequences and correlations between not only what you eat, how you feel, and how you ultimately behave, but also the kinds of bacteria that live in your gut.

What's interesting is that for many years, the medical field did not fully acknowledge the connection between mood and food. If your brain is deprived of good-quality nutrition, or if free radicals or damaging inflammatory cells are circulating within the brain's enclosed space, further contributing to brain tissue injury, consequences are to be expected. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function - and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression. In addition to worsening your body's regulation of insulin, they also promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Diets high in refined sugars, for example, are harmful to the brain. If substances from 'low-premium' fuel (such as what you get from processed or refined foods) get to the brain, it has little ability to get rid of them. Unfortunately, just like an expensive car, your brain can be damaged if you ingest anything other than premium fuel. Eating high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress - the 'waste' (free radicals) produced when the body uses oxygen, which can damage cells. Like an expensive car, your brain functions best when it gets only premium fuel. Put simply, what you eat directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood. That 'fuel' comes from the foods you eat - and what's in that fuel makes all the difference. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. Your brain is always 'on.' It takes care of your thoughts and movements, your breathing and heartbeat, your senses - it works hard 24/7, even while you're asleep.

Are neurons only in the brain