06/03/2025
Eating healthily - what's really good for us
Gut-brain axis: How food influences our thoughts and feelings
When it comes to the effect on our psyche, many people first think of alcohol. However, our diet influences our brain metabolism and thus our thoughts and feelings far beyond this well-known example. A fact that many people are still far too little aware of.
It also took me quite a while to recognize this connection. It only really became clear to me when I started working at hypo-A and fundamentally changed my diet. At that time, I started to eat a completely “clean” diet - freshly cooked, organic, without additives and as regional as possible. The 3-month bowel care program with REHA 1, ODS 1A and ODS 2 was particularly good for me back then, and I still integrate it into my diet today.
It was during this time that I first noticed an exciting connection: Gummy bears had a major influence on my exam nerves during my studies. That was a real eye-opener that made me realize how closely nutrition and emotional well-being are linked and how important it is to take care of your own body. I now usually notice very quickly when a meal is not good for me - both physically and mentally.
These personal experiences coincide with scientific findings about the close connection between the gut and the brain:
Exciting facts about the gut-brain axis
The gut-brain axis describes the communication between the brain and our gastrointestinal tract with its inhabitants, the gut microbiota - in both directions.
- About 80 % of the signals are sent from the gut to the brain, only about 20 % in the opposite direction.
- Food additives can promote hyperactive behaviour in children. (2-5)
- Blood sugar levels that are too high, but also too low, as occur after eating sugar, white flour and other readily available carbohydrates, can lead to tension and anger in diabetics. (6)
- The gut produces around 90 % of the body's own serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is often referred to as the ‘happiness hormone’ due to its mood-enhancing effect. Our gut microbiome can influence anxiety, depression and our behaviour under stress. (7, 8)
- The influence of nutrition on the psyche appears to be stronger in women than in men. (9)
A healthy diet is individual
What is good for us and how well we tolerate something varies from person to person. Pesticides, such as those used in conventional agriculture, and additives are of course harmful to everyone. That's why organic is the better choice for everyone. But even with healthy foods such as wholemeal products and raw food, there are big differences. What is good for one person is not necessarily good for another. There is simply no such thing as THE diet for everyone.
For example, I myself have realised that I can't tolerate spelt, in the morning light wheat bread is better for me than wholemeal bread and if I eat raw vegetables after 6 p.m., the food sits in my stomach at night. Contrary to the general recommendation to eat as few meals a day as possible, I eat much more often. To avoid losing weight and because I can't eat so much at once, I prefer to eat five meals a day. Everyone has different needs. This makes it all the more important to train your own perception.
Experiment and listen: How do I find out what is good for me?
In some cases, the body's signals cannot be ignored. I remember a conversation with a friend (the family only shops in organic food shops) whose children threw up all night after drinking a well-known children's fruit juice drink at a friend's house. A friend's little daughter is sick with a fever after every children's birthday party. If she has been to a birthday party where we only serve organic food, she is not ill. So it doesn't seem to be the excitement alone. At the latest when something like this happens more often, you should listen up and make your own fruit drink from organic fruit juice and water or offer the children homemade cakes without colouring, because let's be honest: no child needs a unicorn rainbow cake to have a happy birthday.
Of course, not everyone's body reacts the same way. But I do believe that everyone can learn something about what is good for them and what is not. So it's worth pausing every now and then and asking yourself: What is really good for me? Do I feel better if I don't eat certain foods?
Quality makes all the difference: not all organic products are the same
In addition to the EU organic seal, there are also seals from various farming organisations, some of which have significantly higher requirements. I once had to painfully experience for myself that this can make a big difference for sensitive people: My husband and I were invited to a traditional North Rhine cabbage dish. Apart from the organic sausage and bacon, everything was fresh from the local garden. I got chills during the meal and felt really miserable - even though everything was organic.
The next day, the solution to the mystery was found: although the bacon was also organic, it came from a large supermarket chain and ‘only’ bore the EU organic label. It came from a non-EU farm and contained lots of additives. This wouldn't have happened to me with meat from my trusted organic butcher and Demeter meat from the health food shop.
Consumption with caution: coffee, alcohol and conscious consumption
Coffee and red wine are two typical examples of how different recommendations for the same food can be. Sometimes it is emphasised that resveratrol from red wine is good for the heart and circulation and that coffee reduces the risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Then again, the toxic effects of alcohol and stomach irritation caused by coffee are cited as warnings against these stimulants.
My personal impression is that it's not just the quantity and individual tolerance that matters, but how you handle it. For me, for example, drinking a cup of cappuccino has become a favourite after-work ritual. Although coffee has a stimulating effect, I can sleep wonderfully afterwards. Is it because of the ritual or the relaxation I associate with it? I don't know.
Of course, quality is also an important factor. The price is by no means always the deciding factor. I once held a sinfully expensive whisky in my hand, a single bottle of which cost 3000 euros - and it contained sugar couleur, a black food colouring. In my opinion, high-quality food doesn't need any tricks to look or taste better. If the raw materials are right, the flavour is right too. Appearance and flavour can also vary from time to time, I don't always need the same uniform mash. It makes eating much more fun and the taste is much better.
Enjoyment starts with shopping
Enjoyment starts with shopping When I look across the border, to Switzerland, Austria, France or Italy, I notice that people there spend much more money on food in comparison. I also see this as an expression of the appreciation and importance that people attach to food.
For me, enjoyment and appreciation are essential. As I said, food shouldn't just fill me up, it should taste good and I want to eat it with a good feeling. Whenever possible, I therefore buy from a supplier I trust. This can be the farm shop of a Demeter farm or the organic supermarket in my region. When I'm on holiday, I like to browse through farm shops, visit farm festivals or take a look at family-run regional organic shops. I often discover specialities that are produced with care and craftsmanship. A dream!
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This also applies in particular to animal husbandry. Every now and then I like to eat a good piece of meat. But not from factory farming. Not least because of my agricultural studies and my work on an organic Highlander farm, respect for animals and animal-friendly husbandry have become extremely important to me. When I look at and stroke the animals, I feel a connection with them. This is exactly what small organic farms offer me. I no longer want to eat animal products from other sources.
Healthy eating in everyday life
The be-all and end-all of food is always the ingredients: preferably fresh organic ingredients that are prepared with love. I realise that everyday life often leaves little time for elaborate cooking. But even simple, quickly prepared dishes such as pears, beans and bacon or a lentil salad can be healthy and delicious.
I try to consciously enjoy food as often as I can - even if it's not always easy. A first step could be to cook something nice with the family on Sundays and eat together.
My husband and I usually cook in the evening and I take leftovers to the office the next day. This works particularly well with recipes that I can eat cold, such as bean salad, rice salad and an Italian pasta salad with tomato and rocket. It's especially great in summer because it tastes delicious straight from the fridge.
Every now and then I also order an organic recipe cookery box from wyldr-bio.de or a regional organic supplier. There are already quite a few. The box not only gives me fresh organic products, but also new recipe ideas.
Conclusion:Nutrition as a conscious decision for greater well-being
The close connection between the gut and the brain shows how important it is to consciously engage with your own diet. What we eat not only influences our physical health, but also our feelings and our mental stability. It is therefore worth listening carefully: Which foods are good for me personally? If you eat consciously and pay attention to your body's signals, you can positively influence not only your digestion but also your emotional balance.
References
- Study by the FOM University of Applied Sciences, Germany: https://www.fom.de/de/presse/2024/dezember/das-nehmen-sich-die-deutschen-fuer-2025-vor.html (Accessed on 7.2.2025)
- https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/pharm3-26-2005/ (Accessed on 7.2.2025) based on Bateman, B., et al., The effects of a double blind, placebo controlled, artificial food colourings and benzoat preservative challenge on hyperactivity in a general population sample of preschool children. Arch. Dis. Child 89 (2004) 506-511.
- https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/ausgabe-372007/hyperaktiv-durch-lebensmittelfarben/ (Abruf vom 7.2.2025) besed on McCann D, et al.: Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2007 Nov 3;370(9598): 1560–1567. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61306-3. Erratum in: Lancet. 2007 Nov 3;370(9598):1542. PMID: 17825405.
- Nigg JT, et al.: Meta-analysis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, restriction diet, and synthetic food color additives. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2012 Jan;51(1):86–97.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2011.10.015.
- Miller MD, et al.: Potential impacts of synthetic food dyes on activity and attention in children: a review of the human and animal evidence. Environ Health. 2022 Apr 29;21(1):45. doi: 10.1186/s12940-022-00849-9. PMID: 35484553; PMCID: PMC9052604.
- https://www.diabetes-deutschland.de/archiv/archiv_3015.htm (Accessed on 7.2.2025)
- Baghai TC, Rupprecht, R: Mikrobiota-Darm-Hirn-Achse. Dickdarmmikrobiom, Stressregulation, Inflammation und Psyche. Der Neurologe & Psychiater 2015; 16 (9); 30–34
- https://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/darmbakterien-beeinflussen-psychische-gesundheit/ (Abruf vom 7.2.2025) besed on Valles-Colomer M, et al. The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression. Nat Microbiol 2019, 4, 623–632. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-018-0337-x
- https://www.neurologen-und-psychiater-im-netz.org/neurologie/news-archiv/artikel/gesunde-ernaehrung-kommt-auch-der-psyche-zugute/ (Abruf vom 7.2.2025) based on Begdache L, Patrissy CM: Customization of Diet May Promote Exercise and Improve Mental Wellbeing in Mature Adults: The Role of Exercise as a Mediator. J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11, 435. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11050435