PTSD and Inflammation: How our diet can help or hinder our healing journey

With the rise of mental health awareness and therapy becoming more socially acceptable, it is hard to remember that the study of the mind, psychology, is actually a very new field in the grand scheme of sciences.

Psychology as we know it today did not truly begin to emerge until the late 1800s with contributions by Wilhelm Wundt and Sigmund Freud. Because of this, scientists and psychologists are still putting together just how much our mind affects our body and vice versa. Recently, there have been leaps with the idea of just how much what we eat aids or hinders our emotional healing. Today I want to talk about a few things that I have changed in my diet, why, and how all these changes have been working out.   

Happy Poop for Happy People 

If you are like me and you are combating your ailments and conditions with knowledge, then you have probably heard of the mind and gut connection. For those who have not, studies have found that our guts are intertwined with our mental health. The enteric nervous system (ENS) consists of over one hundred million nerve cells lining our gastrointestinal tract from esophagus to the rectum. When we have a sinking feeling in our stomachs or get nauseous when we are nervous, it is because of this group of nerves and its connection to our brain. Research has found that those who suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) also experience higher rates of depression and depression related symptoms (“The Brain Gut Connection, John Hopkins”). Taking care of your gut biome is a good first step to elevating your overall mood. However, studies show that the same benefits do not come from probiotic/prebiotic supplements as the body absorbs more benefits from natural sources such as fermented food, fruits and vegetables, and yogurt (Dickerson, 2019).   

Blueberries and Healing

A study on rats has also shown that blueberries help combat the symptoms of PTSD. A study on rats found that a gene, SKA2, is expressed very low in rats that displayed PTSD symptoms. Being fed around two cups a day of blueberries increased the levels of this gene in rats against a control group fed a typical rat diet (Albers, 2021). Blueberries are also full of antioxidants which can help reduce inflammation. Inflammation has long been connected to PTSD with other rather serious diseases such as Diabetes, and heart disease. In fact, inflammation from trauma affects much of our body’s natural processes. These are so connected that reducing inflammation should also be part of the healing diet.

The Evils of Inflammation

In 2020 a review of studies on PTSD and inflammation from 2009 to 2019 showed a strong correlation between PTSD and serum Il-6. According to this study, one of the properties of serum IL-6 is to regulate the immune system and, by crossing the blood-brain barrier, may increase the proinflammatory cytokines within the brain (Kim, 2020). Cytokines are proteins that regulate the immune system. This inflammation causes damage to different parts of the brain and is suspected to cause many symptoms of mental illness, including CPTSD and PTSD (Davis, 2019). Now that I have outlined the basics of how PTSD and CPTSD affect our bodies, I want to highlight how we can use our diet to fix our brains.   

Types of Foods to Avoid and Include

There are foods that are known to cause inflammation, as well as others that fight inflammation. Unfortunately, all of the foods that are known to cause inflammation are delicious ones, and although following a healthy diet doesn’t have to be bland and gross, it is still very hard to avoid inflammatory food entirely. Processed meats, red meat, sugary food (including Soda), fried foods, and refined carbs (like white bread) are all on the “do not eat” list (“Doctors Are Learning That.., 2021). My boyfriend and I have had at least two disagreements in the grocery store because I am trying to avoid red meat and sausage. However, I had steak last night and it was delicious. It probably isn’t reasonable to completely drop these things we enjoy out of our diet, but we can be aware and try to limit these foods.   

The better choices for our diets are unrefined carbs and sugars, unprocessed meats, avoiding red meat, eating fatty fish (or taking fish oil pills).  Fruits with antioxidants, like the blueberries I mentioned earlier, strawberries, and tomatoes (“Doctors Are Learning That”, 2021). Leafy green vegetables help to digest and “discard” food waste properly (which will help with cholesterol) will also help improve your gut health. I don’t think it is any mistake that the same diet advice works for diabetes, weight loss, cholesterol, heart disease, and mental health. Unfortunately, the more I read, the more I realize that our traditional American diets are very much the problem with our health. The assembly line of processed foods made food cheap but dying easier.

Nothing Worth It is Ever Easy

In conclusion, changing your diet is not an easy task, but the food we eat can have health benefits or detractors. The way that we typically eat in America with fried food, red meat, lots of refined carbs and sugar has been shown to increase inflammation. Inflammation is tied to many different health outcomes which include diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mental health issues. There are foods that we can add to our diet, such as fattier fish, fruits and vegetables, that have also been shown to decrease inflammation and thus decrease the chance of being diagnosed with an inflammation related disease or assist in recovering our mental health.  

References:

Albers, S. (March 8,2021). Best Food to Eat If You Have PTSD. www.psychologytoday.comhttps://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/comfort-cravings/202103/best-food-eat-if-you-have-ptsd

Davis, S. (July 29, 2019). Inflammation and the Brain Changes Observed in Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Cptsdfoundation.org https://cptsdfoundation.org/2019/07/29/inflammation-and-the-brain-changes-observed-in-complex-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/#:~:text=A%20study%20examined%2C%20with%20the%20then-new%20neuroimaging%20tool,of%20people%20living%20with%20the%20diagnosis%20of%20PTSD.

Dickerson, Faith. (2019) The Mind Gut Connection with Faith Dickerson, PhD, and Emeran Mayer, MD [Video]. http://www.YouTube.comhttps://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+mind+gut+connection+with+faith+dickerson&view=detail&mid=BA8DE80E20E761F18F2CBA8DE80E20E761F18F2C&FORM=VIRE

Speer K, Upton D, Semple S, McKune A. Systemic low-grade inflammation in post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. J Inflamm Res. 2018 Mar 22;11:111-121. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S155903. PMID: 29606885; PMCID: PMC5868606. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5868606/

The Brain-Gut Connection | Johns Hopkins Medicinehttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection

(November 16, 2021). Doctors are learning that one of the best ways to reduce inflammation lies not in the medicine cabinet, but in the refrigerator.  By following an anti-inflammatory diet you can fight off inflammation for good. www.Health.Harvard.eduhttps://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation

I hope you liked this article. Please remember that the author is not licensed in any way and nothing on Diary of a Flopping Fish is reviewed by any medical professional. All facts are cited, and opinions are opinions.  

Let me know what you think or any suggestions! Comments below!