The Connection Between Gut Health and Mood: Falling in Love with Your Well-Being

As Valentine’s Day approaches, love is in the air—and not just the romantic kind. This season of connection and care reminds us of the importance of self-love and nurturing our mental well-being. But did you know that one of the most powerful ways to care for your mind and heart might start in your gut?

The relationship between gut health and mood is an exciting area of research, that I first learned about when reading the research of Dr. Mark Lyte.  Dr. Lyte is the father of a field called “microbial endocrinology” that showed how microbes communicate and produce the hormones and neurotransmitters that are key to our mental health.  This area of research is revealing how deeply intertwined our physical and emotional well-being truly are. Other pioneers in this are Dr. John Cryan and Dr. Ted Dinan from University College Cork in Ireland.  This gut-brain connection is no longer a poetic metaphor—it’s science.  Gut feelings are real!   Let’s dive into the gut-brain axis, the role of key microbes like Lactobacillus reuteri, and how cultivating a healthy gut microbiome can help us fall in love with our own well-being.

The Gut-Brain Axis: A Two-Way Street of Communication

The gut and brain are in constant dialogue through what scientists call the gut-brain axis. This complex communication system primarily runs through the vagus nerve and uses hormones and neurotransmitters to send signals back and forth. The gut isn’t just a passive participant—it’s an active communicator that produces up to 90% of the body’s serotonin, the neurotransmitter often called the “happiness chemical.”  

The super highway of the vagus nerve connects brain via the brain stem to the major organs like the heart, lungs and digestive system.  It regulates breathing, immune response, heart rate and digestion.  While 80-90% of its fibers are sensory, it contains about 200,000 neurons.  One of its primary functions is sensing our environment through our gut and lung microbiomes.  When the vagus nerve is strong and well-tuned, something called good vagal tone, you are more resilient to stress and your digestive and immune systems work well.  

This connection highlights the profound influence gut health has on mood, mental clarity, and even resilience in the face of stress. When the gut microbiome is out of balance—due to poor diet, stress, or environmental factors—these messages can get scrambled, leading to symptoms like anxiety, depression, and brain fog.

Psychobiotics: Microbes That Support Mental Well-Being

In our recent book club discussion of The Psychobiotic Revolution by John Cryan and Ted Dinan, we explored how specific microbes, dubbed psychobiotics, can positively influence mental health. These beneficial bacteria produce or modulate neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, which regulate mood and emotions.

One standout psychobiotic is Lactobacillus reuteri, a strain gaining a lot of attention for its  strong connections to  our emotional well-being. Research suggests that L. reuteri stimulates the production of oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone.” Oxytocin fosters feelings of connection, trust, and empathy, making it a perfect microbe to highlight this Valentine’s Day.

L. reuteri and the Love Hormone (oxytocin)

Dr. William Davis, author of Super Gut, has spoken extensively about L. reuteri and its ability to promote emotional resilience and tolerance. In one of his recent discussions, he described how this microbe not only boosts oxytocin but also seems to increase people’s capacity for compassion and understanding of differing opinions—something we could all use during times of societal tension and division.

This is an important reminder that supporting your gut health isn’t just about improving digestion or physical health. It’s about nurturing your emotional intelligence and creating stronger, more harmonious connections with the people in your life or new people that you meet.  After all, when we feel more at peace within ourselves, we’re better equipped to navigate differing opinions with grace and kindness.

Sharing Microbes, Sharing Love

Here’s another surprising fact: we share microbes with the people we interact with most. When we hug, kiss, or share meals, we’re exchanging tiny microbial passengers that influence each other’s microbiomes. In this episode of RadioLab Dr. Jack Gilbert talks to Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson about sharing microbes.  While that episode is about handshakes, imagine how many more microbes we share with those we live with daily.   It’s a fun and beautiful reminder that connection isn’t just emotional—it’s biological.

This microbial exchange could explain why people in close relationships often experience similar health outcomes as well. We’ve been trained to think about inheritance as our human genes.  However, we have 200-300 times more microbial genes and we get our microbiome from our parents as well.   This underscores the importance of nurturing a healthy microbiome—not just for ourselves, but for the people we love.

Falling in Love with Your Gut

As you reflect on this season of love and self-care, consider how you can support your gut-brain connection to enhance your mental and emotional well-being. Here are a few simple steps:

• Incorporate fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kefir into your diet to introduce beneficial bacteria.

• Prioritize fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (only if non-GMO, non-hybridized, pesticide-free), which serve as prebiotics to feed your microbiome.

• Explore targeted probiotics like those from BiotiQuest, designed to support specific health goals, including mood and mental clarity. Several of our formulas include L. reuteri, including Sugar Shift, the Sugar Shift Starter Culture, and Ideal Immunity. We’ll also be sharing our Perfect Peace probiotic later this year, designed to support a better mood.

• Connect with loved ones, sharing meals and moments that nurture both your relationships and your microbiome.

The Power of Self-Care and Connection

Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate love in all its forms—romantic, platonic, and self-directed. By caring for your gut, you’re giving yourself the gift of resilience, joy, and connection, while also creating a ripple effect that touches the lives of those around you.

This year, let’s fall in love with our well-being, starting with the beautiful, symbiotic world inside us. After all, love—like health—thrives when it’s nurtured from within.

What’s one way you’ll nurture your microbiome this month? Let us know in the comments below, or share your favorite gut-loving recipe!