How to Enhance Your Gut Microbiome for Brain & Overall Health | Episode 61

In this episode, I discuss the profound effect the gut has on the nervous system. I cover the structure and function of the gut-brain axis and the role of the gut microbiome in the brain and overall health. I describe how the gut controls hunger or satiety by affecting neurons in our brain. I also contrast the many pathways by which the gut influences the brain: direct vs. indirect pathways, chemical vs. mechanical, and fast vs. slow signaling. Additionally, I discuss what defines a healthy microbiome and how your lifestyle impacts the gut microbiome, including the effects of stress, fasting, antibiotics, pets, environment, prebiotics and probiotics. I address how different foods shape the gut microbiome, in particular, the emerging data that fermented foods can increase the diversity of healthy gut microbiota. Throughout the episode, I explain peer-reviewed and textbook findings that reveal the critical role of the gut microbiome in supporting mental and physical health and I outline simple tools that anyone can use in order to enhance their gut microbiome health. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/huberman Our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman Supplements from Thorne https://www.thorne.com/u/huberman Social & Website YouTube Instagram Twitter Facebook Website Newsletter Article Links "The Emerging Biology of Gut-Brain Sensory Transduction" "Mechanisms Underlying Microbial-Mediated Changes in Social Behavior in Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder" "Association of Loneliness and Wisdom With Gut Microbial Diversity and Composition: An Exploratory Study" "Emotional well-being and gut microbiome profiles by enterotype" "Brain fogginess, gas and bloating: a link between SIBO, probiotics and metabolic acidosis" "Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status" "The preference for sugar over sweetener depends on a gut sensor cell" Book Links "Th