There is a factor that can bring on depression and low energy for an entirely different reason than normally thought of - digestion and the microbiome.

A healthy gut microbiome is a complex mix of many different bacteria working together in balance to maintain gut health. 

Multiple studies have shown that the composition of our gut bacteria has a profound impact on the brain and the functioning of our nervous system.

When the body's digestive ability is weak, we will not get all of the nutrition from the foods that we eat. This is because the food must be fully broken down during digestion in order for our body to be able to the nutrition it contains. 

It’s not just our body's cells that need this nutrition. Specific bacteria in the colon need nutrition, too. When these bacteria don’t get the food they need, they don’t produce, and we can start to feel more anxious or depressed.

But there’s something else that happens in the gut, and it’s why gut health, stress, anxiety, and depression, are so closely related.

Proper Digestion is Key to the Neurotransmitters Serotonin & GABA

Serotonin and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) are key neurotransmitters.

A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance that is released at the end of a nerve fiber by the arrival of a nerve impulse and, by diffusing across the synapse or junction, causes the transfer of the impulse to another nerve fiber, a muscle fiber, or some other structure.

The nervous system runs on neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are produced directly by, or in conjunction with key bacteria in our colon.

Serotonin and GABA are neurotransmitters that keep our mood higher and allow us to be more relaxed.

When the bacteria in the gut have the foods they need to thrive, they make the neurotransmitters that we need. When they don't make these neurotransmitters, this can be directly associated with depression and anxiety.

We need to improve our digestive health and give the bacteria in our colon the nutrition it needs to produce the neurotransmitters we need.

What Can You Do?

If you are not already focused on ensuring your digestion is optimum and your gut is healthy, then this is one more reason to do so.

Surprisingly, one of the natural ways to improve digestion and gut health is to drink camel milk.

Gut Benefits of Camel Milk

Here are some of the benefits of camel milk:

1. Camel milk contains Lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein that can fight bacterial growth (1). It is so effective that it may stop intestinal Escherichia coli.
2. It contains the Lysozyme enzyme that kills bacteria by disrupting their membranes; it may also aid in the maintenance of healthy gut flora in breast-fed babies (2).
3. It contains prebiotics in the form of oligosaccharides (3). Prebiotics play a key role in feeding healthy bacteria and supporting their growth in the digestive system, resulting in improved health. Oligosaccharides promote the growth of healthy bacteria while inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria in the colon.
4. Camel milk also contains several probiotics that make the gut healthy, like Enterococcus durans, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus lactis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus lactis, and Lactobacillus pentosus (4). It has been proven that E. lactis can stop the growth of certain hazardous bacteria. L. pentosus may prevent infection by inhibiting Helicobacter pylori and aid better gut health (5).
5. Camel milk also contains minerals (selenium and zinc) that may support a healthy gut. Selenium and zinc may help reduce Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease (6). Selenium and zinc can help regulate the microflora and boost the diversity of bacteria in the intestines and gastrointestinal tracts.

So, ensuring healthy gut conditions with the right types and ratios of good bacteria by drinking camel milk has the potential to positively impact mood and mental health.

Camelicious Camel Milk Powder

Camel milk is called a superfood because of the nutritional and health benefits it offers, including for digestion and gut health.

Camel milk is a superior milk to cow, goat and sheep milk, and commercial nut and soy milks, for many reasons.

Camelicious camel milk powder is 100% real milk – non-GMO, gluten free and no antibiotics or hormones. It’s a light milk with a clean, fresh taste; in fact, it tastes similar to cow milk.

Camel milk can be consumed as milk or used in cooking and baking replacing other types of milk.

Click here for Camelicious: https://camelicioususa.com/collections/frontpage

References:

• Science Direct: Lactoferrin – Clinical Respiratory Medicine, 2012

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/lactoferrin

• Science Direct: Lysozyme – Antibiotic Resistance, 2016

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/lysozyme

• Fukuda K, Yamamoto A, Ganzorig K, et al. Chemical characterization of the oligosaccharides in Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) milk and colostrum. J Dairy Sci. 2010;93(12):5572-87. PMID: 21094729
• Davati N, Tabatabaee Yazdi F, Zibaee S, Shahidi F, Edalatian MR. Study of Lactic Acid Bacteria Community From Raw Milk of Iranian One Humped Camel and Evaluation of Their Probiotic Properties. Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology. 2015;8(5):e16750. doi:10.5812/jjm.8(5)2015.16750
• Zheng PX, Fang HY, Yang HB, Tien NY, Wang MC, Wu JJ. Lactobacillus pentosus strain LPS16 produces lactic acid, inhibiting multidrug-resistant Helicobacter pylori. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2016;49(2):168-74. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2014.04.014
• Kudva AK, Shay AE, Prabhu KS. Selenium and inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2015;309(2):G71-7. PMID: 26045617