One of the main factors that can influence the mood of an individual is the health of the gut. In particular, the variety of bacteria within the gut can have a significant impact on mental health. In turn, both diet and exercise are able to affect the type and numbers of bacteria inhabiting the gut. Generally, exercise and a good diet improve the bacterial profile of the gut, whereas a lack of exercise and a poor diet can detrimentally affect the profile. For example, studies investigating the effects of diet and exercise on mice have shown that specific bacterial abundances are directly related to the anxious behaviour displayed by the animals and that these were improved with a normal diet but worsened by a high fat diet. The authors also found that exercise could improve the health of the gut, but these improvements did not occur when a high fat diet was consumed, suggesting that although exercise is beneficial, a high fat diet may be dominant in shaping gut health when compared to physical activity.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself
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