Seven daily habits to improve your gut health and boost your brain power

Your gut isn’t just a digestive system, it’s the body’s second brain. 

Running from our mouth all the way down to our bum, it houses a nervous system that controls our digestion but also plays a role in our mental health. 

While our gut isn’t writing poetry or solving maths problems, similar to the brain, it contains a wealth of nerve cells. It also works more independently from the brain than our other organs. The gut communicates with the brain through the vagus nerve (the gut-brain communication highway), the gut microbiome (a community of bacteria and other microbes) and through the immune system, hormones and neurotransmitters.

All of this means that our gut and our brain are intricately connected, in ways that we’re still only just understanding. But, what we have learned is that there are simple habits that can both transform our gut health and enhance our brain power – here are a handful of them. 

Eat more fibre “big hitters” to boost brain function

We talk about fibre as being something that just keeps bowel movements regular, but actually it’s Clark Kent (secretly Superman). It’s the indigestible component in food that our gut bacteria feasts on, making it central for gut health.

It’s also vital for our brain. One review found that each five gram increase in fibre was linked with a 5 per cent drop in the risk of depression. Others from my own research department at King’s College London, have shown that over-60s who took a daily prebiotic fibre supplement (a type of fibre that feeds the “good” gut bacteria) performed better in memory tests that are used to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s. A review of 14 studies found that prebiotic fibre supplements can improve your mood and provide both quick and lasting benefits for your memory, particularly your ability to recall words and events.

Fibre is the closest thing we have to a “superfood”. In the UK, 30g of fibre per day is the recommended starting point. While it’s thought that more may be better, most people in the UK are eating just 18 to 20g per day.

To get more in your diet, focus on eating fibre “big hitters”. These include beans (8g of fibre per half can) and legumes, such as chickpeas (8.3g per half can).

We’re a bread-loving nation, so swap to pumpernickel rye bread (6g per slice). I also keep a jar of nuts and seeds next to my kettle, so I can add them to my breakfast in the morning (one tablespoon of chia seeds has 5.1g). Forget the idea that you need to eat lots of bland salad to boost your fibre intake. Lettuce has just 1.5g of fibre per 100g (though still contains lots of beneficial phytonutrients for our health)..

If we can get more fibre in our diet, it’s going to make us feel better. Eat in a way that is joyful, non-stressful and doesn’t take up too much time or energy.

Two portions of oily fish a week for healthier brain cells

Omega-three fatty acids are really important for keeping our brain cells healthy. Because our bodies cannot synthesise omega-three fatty acids we need to get them from our diet, and oily fish is one of the best sources.

Eating more oily fish is one of the strongest dietary protective factors for looking after our brain in later life. One study found that people who ate more fish had healthier blood vessels, which may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.