Supplements for The Gut/Brain Axis

In this article we will discuss the best supplements for optimizing your gut/brain axis, but before we get to that, I want to do a little thought experiment with you to illustrate the power of the gut/brain axis…

Imagine holding a sharp knife in one hand and a fresh lemon in the other. Place the lemon on a cutting board and slice it in half and smell the sweet aroma of fresh lemon as it fills your nose. Pick up one half, its surface glossy with freshly released juice, and slice it again, revealing the bright yellow flesh dotted with seeds.

Now, take one of these quarters, lift it to your mouth, and bite down. Feel the burst of tangy, sour lemon juice flooding your mouth and tingling on your tongue. Are you salivating now? If you are, you can see how powerfully the brain can affect our digestive system, even from mere thoughts!

The Power of the Mind

Saliva not only lubricates our food but also introduces enzymes that begin breaking down carbohydrates in the mouth, marking the first stage of digestion: the cephalic stage. The term “cephalic” refers to the head, and in the context of digestion, it specifically pertains to the brain’s role in preparing the body for the intake and processing of food.

This phase also primes our digestive system by initiating the release of digestive enzymes and other gastric secretions. So our brain affects our digestion. And… our digestion affects our brain! This is what we call the gut/brain axis.

Our brain needs a lot of nutrients, and in order to get those nutrients to our brain, our digestion must be working effectively. Let’s explore digestion so we can give our brain the nutrients it needs!

Nutrition and Absorption:

I once had a friend who told me that even though she was taking a 10,000 IU capsule of vitamin D3 (the most bioavailable form) everyday, her vitamin D levels were still low. She also experienced skin problems, brittle nails and even hair thinning (all signs that might point towards vitamin D deficiency), especially during the winter when she didn’t see the sun very often. 

So what gives? Why were her vitamin D levels low when she was taking 10,000 IU of vitamin D3, which is more than 16x the RDA for vitamin D!?!?!?! ?

The answer is in her digestion. In this case, she was not producing enough stomach acid or enough pepsin (which we will talk about), which disrupted her digestion downstream, preventing her from getting the nutrients in her supplements. 

The bottom line is that we can’t break down and absorb the nutrients in our food or supplements if our digestion isn’t working properly. 

In other words…

We are NOT what we eat, but what our systems can do with what we eat.

If we are not absorbing the nutrients in our food because of issues with digestion, then all our hard work and money might be going down the toilet! Literally! 

We can not absorb nutrients from our supplements or food if we have low stomach acid, low levels of enzymes, dysbiosis, or issues with the lining of our intestines.

This article will teach you how to fix your digestion so that you can fix your brain and body. 

Food is the best source of nutrients in good ratios and in bioavailable forms. I mean… humans didn’t evolve eating isolated nutrients in pill form, so food is where we want to get our nutrients. And… certain supplements enhance how we absorb the nutrients in our food (and our supplements). So it makes a lot of sense to use supplements to enhance our ability to digest. 

Ladies and Gentleman… we have the technology!

We have the technology to fix and enhance our digestion to extract more nutrients from the food (and the supplements) we consume. So let’s use it! Let’s take a look at 4 of my favorite Supplements to Optimize the Gut/Brain Axis.

Supplements for Optimal Digestion:

Cephalic Stage of Digestion

Smelling, tasting, and chewing our food are the first part that we can really control. This is one reason why savoring our food, and also optimizing our dental health is a crucial first step, but that goes beyond the scope of this article. Let’s just say oral health is important!

The secretion of stomach acid and gastric juices can actually start at the first signs of hunger or even the thought of food, but focusing on smelling, tasting, and chewing our food is the first crucial step that does not require supplements.

During this first phase of digestion, our food is chomped up by our teeth and mixed with saliva, which contains enzymes like amylase to break down carbohydrates. At least this is what is supposed to happen, but in these rare cases, the mouth is chronically dry. For these rare cases, oil pulling with coconut oil and essential oils like peppermint can help produce more saliva and create a healthy microbiome in your mouth. Oil pulling is basically swishing with coconut oil for 15-20 min, pushing and pulling it through your teeth.

The Microbiome Starts in Your Mouth

Breath mints with hyaluronic acid and a natural, non-sugar sweetener like xylitol can also help produce more saliva before a meal.  And if those don’t do the trick the use of synthetic saliva, which contains water, enzymes, electrolytes, and lubricants like glycerin are needed.

The point is that digestion starts before our food ever enters the stomach, and… if our digestion starts on the wrong foot, it will end on the wrong foot. Smells and flavors signal to our body to start the process of digestion so if you or your loved one cannot smell due to a brain injury or neuro-degeneration, it’s going to affect digestion.

And if you or your loved one cannot eat conventionally, it’s going to affect digestion. Luckily, there are ways to replace whats missing, like adding in enzymes, hydrochloric acid (HCl) boosters, probiotics, and gat barrier support.

And guess what…

digestive supplements can be beneficial for anyone!

Honestly…

The supplements I’m gonna talk about in this article are like cheat codes to getting more nutrients out of the food we eat!

You don’t even need to experience digestive issues to benefit from them!

They are especially useful for anyone who has had a brain injury, chronic stress, major surgery, digestive issues or even just poor sleep quality. So in other words… just about everyone at some point.

Let’s take a look at your digestion and how to supplement in order to optimize it!

Supplement 1: Stomach Acid Boosters & Digestive Aids

The first (and probably the most important) place to focus our attention is in boosting our stomach acid. Aligned with the Ayurvedic concept of Agni (the digestive fire), this acidic environment sparks the flame and ignites the fire.

Do You Have Low Stomach Acid?

Stomach acid or hydrochloric acid is often supplemented as betaine HCL. Hydrochloric acid, or HCL, is the exact same chemical as our natural stomach acid! As a bonus to igniting a fire in our bellies, we get to use the betaine for other things. Betaine (also called trimethylglycine or TMG) is awesome for the brain, hydration, cardiovascular health, and more!

Betaine is named after the Latin name for beets because it is commonly found in beets. It is also shown to really improve methylation. This is a crucial biochemical process that occurs in every cell in our bodies, including the brain. This process is vital for a host of cellular functions, but it is particularly important for brain energy, cognitive processes, mood regulation, and overall neural health.

But back to digestion…

As stated before, stomach acid ignites the fire that activates pepsin, the enzyme that draws amino acids into our bloodstream.

If we aren’t producing enough stomach acid, we aren’t producing enough pepsin either.

Pepsin does a lot.  Not only does pepsin improve how we absorb proteins, but also how we assimilate fats. It even helps to slow our blood sugar response to prevent spikes and crashes in our energy levels.

Glutamic acid, a non-essential amino acid, also plays a pivotal role in various metabolic and cognitive processes within the body. It is particularly important for digestive health as it aids in the efficient functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. When it comes to digestion, glutamic acid acts primarily as a fuel for the cells lining the stomach and intestines. This supports their integrity and function. Glutamic acid also increases the acidity of the stomach and improves digestion.

So I like to get betaine HCL, glutamic acid, and pepsin while also improving our body’s natural production of HCL. A great way to do this is by using bitters. I like gentian root bitters. I also like taking all of these ingredients together to make sure digestion in the stomach is optimal.

How do I know if my stomach needs help igniting my digestive fire?

A very acidic stomach is what triggers gut motility so if…

1. it feels like food sits in your stomach for a long time
2. you experience constipation
3. you have gas.

Any of these may be a sign you have hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid).

Test Don’t Guess

There are a couple of ways to find out if you have low stomach acid.

1. You can order a test called the Heidelberg Stomach Acid Test for about $350.
2. You can do an easy test at home that will cost you almost nothing.

I like option 2. Here’s what you do:

1. Put a glass of water, a stop watch (or use your phone), and about 1/2 tsp of baking soda in a cup by your bed before going to sleep.
2. When you wake up in the morning after at least 4 hours of sleep… before eating or drinking anything… add about 4-6 ounces of water to the cup with 1/2 tsp of backing soda and mix.
3. Drink the whole glass of baking soda solution and start a timer as soon as your drink it
4. Don’t try to do anything… just see how long it takes until you burp.

Evaluating Your Results

The faster you feel a belch coming, the more stomach acid you are producing. This is like those volcanoes you made for science in school that use baking soda and vinegar. When the acid in vinegar meets the baking soda, it makes carbon dioxide gas. In your stomach, it’s hydrochloric acid (HCL), and the carbon dioxide gas causes you to belch. The slower the chemical reaction, the less acid is in your stomach.

If the timer reaches sixty seconds, then you have low stomach acid. You probably want to do something to ignite your digestive fire. I like to supplement with betaine HCL + pepsin + gentian bitters + glutamic acid.

Supplement 2: Acid-Resistant Digestive Enzymes

Our pancreas is responsible for producing a lot of the enzymes we need to digest our food. However, a lot are also produced by the lining of our small intestine. Our pancreas can become taxed or damaged by certain medications, alcohol consumption, and various medical conditions.

In today’s world, it takes conscious effort to avoid regular exposure to things that damage our intestinal tract. A few examples are inflammatory proteins found in grains and dairy, antibiotics in our food, over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen, etc.

Our digestion is all part of a connected system. If one link in the chain is broken, then it creates many problems downstream. Ever feel like your food was sitting in your stomach for a long time?  It may feel heavy or like like it wasn’t moving. This could be from low protease or pepsin.

Leaky Gut Syndrome!

Ever had fatigue, joint pain, or brain fog after eating a meal? This could be from low levels of enzymes or dysbiosis. If you aren’t digesting your food, then it is likely that other bad microbes will eat it first like yeast.

This can create dysbiosis which is simply an imbalance of microbes in our mouth, esophagus, stomach, or intestinal tract. These microbes can create colonies called biofilms that latch onto the intestinal tract which can cause leaky gut syndrome.

With intestinal permeability, undigested food particles, microbial waste, or other endotoxins can enter our bloodstream. Our immune system doesn’t recognize these compounds. This means it attacks them as if they were pathogens just like if you had a splinter. And what happens with a splinter? It gets swollen and inflamed and our body launches an immune response to attack the unrecognized thing.

This can cause chronic low-grade inflammation throughout our entire body. This can lead to chronic anxiety, depression, low energy levels, joint pain, skin issues, brain fog, and more. A fire in our bellies (an acidic environment) is our greatest defense for eliminating bad microbes in our food.

The second step is acid-resistant enzymes.

Many enzymes on the market are derived from pigs. Pigs have a much lower acidity in their stomach, and these enzymes break down under acid in a human stomach. If we want the enzymes to actually work, then we need acid-stable enzymes.

Many foods like beans, grains, tubers, peanuts, and many other foods must be cooked to break down “anti-nutrients” like lectins. Anti-nutrients are substances found in foods that can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, and may impact digestion.

When we eat these foods, we need extra enzymes to break them down. Without them, we can end up with flatulence, heartburn, indigestion, and many other symptoms of digestive distress.

The Importance of Broad Spectrum Enzymes

This is why a broad spectrum of enzymes can be so beneficial like phytase, betaglucanase, xylanase, etc. These can help break down compounds like phytic acid, beta glucans, xylan, and other fiber that can cause digestive distress.

Now fiber is good for our gut bacteria because they love to eat that stuff. However, fiber can also absorb our stomach acid which decreases the activation of pepsin. This can lead to decreased uptake of amino acids from protein.

If our food is wrapped in fiber, which humans cannot digest, then lots of nutrients can remain trapped. This is another reason why chewing well is so important. It’s also why adequate stomach acid, a broad-spectrum, acid-resistant enzyme, and the right probiotics are crucial steps in digestion.

And this brings us to…

Supplement 3: Spore-Based Probiotics & Immunoglobulins

Probiotics have become all the rage in popular science as of late. You may have heard that 9/10 cells in your body are actually cells with foreign DNA like probiotics. You may have also heard that 70% of our immune system is in the small intestine.

This is all true! However, did you know that 99% of probiotics in fermented food and most probiotics will die in your stomach acid? Most of these beneficial microbes like Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, etc. are very sensitive to heat, cold, and acidic environments.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are many benefits to these organisms. In fact, there are many studies that prove that, but they typically aren’t that beneficial for digestion. Spore-based probiotics enter a spore-like phase of development that protects them from the elements so they don’t die.

Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus clausii are just a couple examples of spore-based probiotics. They also kill of bad microbes that compete with them for food. These little guys eat fiber and produce antioxidants that enter our bloodstream. In addition, they also liberate many nutrients trapped in fiber.

The Proven Benefits of Spore-Based Probiotics

In addition to digesting fiber and producing antioxidants and other nutrients, these microbes kill the bad guys. We have proof! A study published by The World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology found that supplementing with spore-based probiotics dramatically reduced endotoxins in the bloodstream in only one month!

The placebo group had an INCREASE of endotoxins by 32% over the one month trial. However, the group who took spore-based probiotics had a 42% DECREASE in endotoxins. They also saw a significant decrease in the hunger hormone ghrelin, and a significant decrease in inflammatory markers like TNF-a, IL-6, IL-1B, etc. These markers are released when our immune system is trying to fight an infection or fix a problem.

This is for a few reasons. One is that these microbes create lactic acid when they eat fiber which creates an inhospitable environment for bad microbes. They also significantly reduce the inflammatory response in the intestinal tract which can lead to damage and make matters worse. It’s a vicious cycle where leaky gut causes inflammation which destroys our gut health and worsens leaky gut syndrome.

The Magic of Immunoglobulins

Many people believe these symptoms of leaky gut syndrome are just “normal” or that this vicious cycle is inescapable. I’m here to tell you that heartburn, gas, discomfort, fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, and all other symptoms of leaky gut syndrome both mental and physical are not “normal”, and that there is a solution. Why not just start with the probiotics? Because that would be four steps forward and two steps backward.

We want to maximize nutrient absorption and prevent new bad microbes from coming so we need enzymes and stomach acid, but what do we do if we already have dysbiosis? That’s where immunoglobins come in! Supplements with immunoglobins can indirectly activate the immune system in our intestinal tract to get rid of the biofilms.

Does Colostrum Work?

Immunoglobulins are in eggs and milk to enhance the immune system of the baby animal. This protects them from pathogens in a gentle way that helps prevent infections and helps their development.

Since proteins in milk like casein can cause further issues with leaky gut syndrome, I recommend hyperimmunized egg powder. If you are allergic to eggs but not dairy, then colostrum is a good substitute.

If you’ve heard a lot of people singing high praise for milk colostrum, and the benefits they got for their digestion, skin, immune system, and energy levels, a lot of those benefits are from the immunoglobulins.

When you fix leaky gut syndrome, your energy levels, focus, skin, immune system, mental health, stress levels, and more all improve. It sounds too good to be true, but remember: all health begins in the gut.

Restoring Intestinal Integrity:

The final piece is rejuvenating and restoring the integrity of the intestinal lining and mucosal barrier. The small intestine looks like a shag carpet in that its covered with tiny protrusions called villi. If we were to lay it all flat, it would have the surface area of a tennis court.

Bad microbes and additives in our food can damage the villi and cause atrophy of the villi. The amino acid, glutamine, has shown a lot of promise in restoring the integrity of the intestinal lining.

A study published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care stated:

“Glutamine is a major nutrient to maintain intestinal barrier function in animals and humans. Depletion of glutamine results in villus atrophy, decreased expression of tight junction proteins and increased intestinal permeability. Moreover, glutamine supplementation can improve gut barrier function in several experimental conditions of injury and in some clinical situations.”

Glutamine is also a helpful supplement for restoring the functionality of the tight junctions between cells in the small intestine. However proteins like zonulin, found in gluten, open these tight junctions.

This allows endotoxins and undigested food to enter the bloodstream. While these kinds of supplements can be really helpful, you also need to understand why I recommend eating the Feed a Brain Nutritional Protocol. Supplements are great but your diet is the foundation of your wellness, and there are crucial steps that can’t be missed.

Restoring the Intestinal Mucosa

There is a protective barrier that is like a gel on the intestinal lining called the mucosa or mucosal barrier. There are microbes like Akkermansia muciniphila (mucininphila means “mucus lover”) that eat gelatinous foods like aloe leaf gel, chia seeds, inulin from chicory, etc. help to feed them, and in return, they produce double the amount of gel that they consumed to protect the lining of your intestines from foreign pathogens and additives in our food.

We should still try to minimize additives in our food like artificial preservatives, antibiotics in meat and diary products, and glyphosate from the weed-killer Roundup because these can kill the good microbes that produce this barrier.

Another important aspect of this is the amino acid glycine which is found in high quantities in mucin. Mucin is what our mucosal barrier is primarily made of. Its also abundant in collagen. Collagen comes from the Greek root words for “glue maker”.

Many say it is the glue that holds us together because it makes up crucial tissues like the gut lining, our skin, the endothelium in our veins and arteries, and our joints and connective tissues. Bone broth has collagen in it which contains glycine and glutamine making it a “one-two punch” for gut health. For a full article on how to make bone broth at home with stuff you would probably just throw away CLICK HERE.

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice extract (DGL)

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice extract or DGL for short is another commonly recommended supplement used by many because it has soluble fiber that our gut microbes love to eat and reduces inflammation in the gut.

Soluble fiber is the type of fiber that dissolves in water which feeds gut microbes in the small intestine. However, insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and feeds gut microbes in our colon. Both are very important pieces that should not be skipped.

Another factor that can really help get rid of bad microbes in the intestinal tract are immunologically active polysaccharides. These are special kinds of fiber that you will likely only get from supplementation.

Arabinogalactan, from the wood of Larch trees, can feed our gut bacteria and also activate the immune system to fight off bad microbes in our intestines. Since we cannot eat tree bark, this would be why supplements are needed.

Recommended Supplements:

Below are the supplements that we recommend for your convenience. They contain all of these ingredients we mentioned above and even more in many cases. You can find these elsewhere if you like. These are certified under current good manufacturing practices (cGMP). The facilities are inspected by the FDA for quality control and stricter standards than most supplement companies are held to. Now that you know what to look for, you can find whatever best suits your needs. However, we recommend using these ingredients in tandem so you cover all of your bases, and get the most benefits possible.