You might have heard how important a healthy gut microbiome is to your body and brain. Overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and yeasts in the gut have been linked to inflammation, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and yes, brain fog! Clean up the gut and often these symptoms go away.
An article in Scientific Reports in 2015 reported that different brain regions are infected with fungi in Alzheimer’s Disease. This article suggested the possibility that untreated fungal infections slowly spread to the Central Nervous System and when the fungal burden gets high enough, neuronal loss takes place and communication between neurons becomes impaired.
Take away: An untreated yeast infection in the gut can make its way to the brain!
How do you know if you have overgrowth of unfavorable bacteria or fungi in the gut? Most people will experience unpleasant GI symptoms such as gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, and even abdominal pain. However, some people do not have any GI symptoms and instead may experience non-GI symptoms such as allergies, joint pain, weight gain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, brain fog, and the list goes on!
Unsure if you have an unhealthy gut microbiome or fungal overgrowth in the gut? I recommend doing a functional stool test which looks at your healthy bacteria population and overgrowth of potentially harmful bacteria and also detects parasites, worms, candida, and fungi. It even detects inflammation in the gut. Schedule a complementary strategy session here to learn more about this comprehensive stool test.
Once you know what is causing your GI symptoms (or your non-GI symptoms), you can take action to restore a healthy gut and brain!
