Gut-Brain Axis

Your mouth harbors bacteria that can reach your brain through your bloodstream, a cranial nerve, and your gut — here’s how the oral-gut-brain axis actually works.

The vagus nerve carries 80% of gut-to-brain signals — and you can actively strengthen its function through specific practices.

New research maps exactly how bacteria in your mouth reach your brain and contribute to cognitive decline — and the connection is more direct than anyone thought.

Your gut bacteria make butyrate from fiber — but not all fiber works the same way. Here’s what to eat, what to skip, and whether supplements are worth it.

A compound your gut bacteria make from fiber literally changes which genes your brain expresses — and the effect compounds over time.

Your mouth is the starting point of a pathway that reaches your brain — and most people have no idea it exists.

Your gut bacteria produce a compound called butyrate that directly affects brain chemistry. Here is how it works and what you can eat to boost it.

BDNF is the protein that determines whether your brain bounces back or stays stuck. Your gut bacteria control how much you make.

Three pathways connect your gut bacteria to your brain. Understanding the system — not just one piece — is what actually changes your mental health.

Your gut bacteria produce a compound that literally changes which genes your brain expresses — and it may be the missing piece in understanding depression.

SSRIs don’t work for half of depressed patients. The reason might start in your gut, not your brain.

A research-backed week-by-week timeline for gut healing interventions so you know what to expect and when to worry.