The Gut Health Edition
Research continues to highlight the importance of gut health on every aspect of our health. New this week: oranges and depression, and yogurt and colon cancer.
Growing research shows a direct correlation between gut health and a host of physical ailments, as well as being closely linked to emotional and psychological well-being.
Gut, or GI (gastrointestinal system), health refers to the health of the organs of the gut: the mouth, the esophagus, the stomach, the small and large intestines and the anus, with a lift-up on digestion from the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. The gut is being referred to as the ‘second brain’ because when the GI system works as it should, it helps create a better balance that affects our entire body.
20% decrease in depression linked to a serving of citrus a day in women
At a time women are still barely included in only 25% of overall health research studies, this one from Harvard focused primarily on women and identified the impact of a serving of citrus (orange or grapefruit1) a day on mental health. The study found that, among women, eating an orange a day was linked to a 20% decrease in depressive symptoms. Note the large study—100,000 women—found the link to a lower depression risk with citrus only, not other fruits such as apples and bananas.
The study included 300 men as controls, but did not have the same finding for men.
The big link—and one we’ll see more of—is the effect on the gut. Here’s the actual study, with details on how researchers think oranges work to change gut microbiomes and decrease depression.
Yogurt may lower risk of a particularly lethal type of colon cancer
Another Harvard study found a link between eating yogurt a couple times a week and lower incidence of a particularly lethal type of colon cancer. Researchers analyzed data from more than 150,000 people who were followed for at least three decades. They found that people who ate two or more servings of yogurt per week tended to have lower rates of proximal colorectal cancer, a particularly aggressive form of colorectal cancer. Patients with proximal colon cancer (which occurs on the right side of the colon) typically have worse survival outcomes than patients with distal colon cancer (which occurs on the left side).
Most articles on this study talk about oranges as the source of citrus, as grapefruit interacts negatively with many medications, including statins, antihistamines, blood thinners, and antidepressants.