Can Meditation Make Microbes Mellow?

“Meditation… can really be powerful, terrifying even, as it lifts the rug up on your subconscious and the dust comes flying out.” —Amanda Palmer

The gut-brain axis, that strange nexus between your gut microbes and your moods, is a two-way street. Not only do microbes have a say in your mental state, but your mind can also influence those same microbes. Could meditating affect your microbiome as well?

Source: Scott Anderson / Midjourney

The Gut-Brain Connection

We know the main pathways that are involved in the gut-brain axis. They include the nervous system, the immune system, and the endocrine (hormone) system.

But if it seems shocking that tiny microbes can affect our brain, it is even stranger that our brains can affect our gut microbes as well. However, this seems to be a real phenomenon. Researchers have reported that cognitive behavioral therapy can affect our gut microbes, even improving irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Now, researchers in Shanghai have reported that meditation also seems to affect gut microbes. They looked at Buddhist monks and compared their gut microbes to those of their non-meditating neighbors and found differences in their microbial composition.

In particular, they found several genera, including Prevotella, Megamonas, and Faecalibacterium were enriched in the meditators. The authors of the study say, “The microbiota enriched in monks was associated with a reduced risk of anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease and could enhance immune function.”

The study is small and doesn’t delve into the biology well enough to say exactly how meditation could affect gut microbes. An observational study like this only allows us to infer an association, not causation. It is possible, for example, that certain gut microbes can make people more meditative, instead of the other way around. Either way, the study lays another brick in the pathway between the gut and the brain.

How Might the Meditation-Microbe Connection Work?

Other studies provide some possible mechanisms that could account for the results of this research.

Previous investigations, for example, have shown that mental efforts to diminish anxiety can reduce levels of cortisol, which in turn can affect gut microbes. Mouse studies buttress this, demonstrating that stress can cause negative changes in the gut microbiome. When the stress is lifted, the gut microbiome returns to a healthier state. So, it is not inconceivable that at least some of the benefits of meditation come from improving gut health.

Does this mean you should get into lotus position and start meditating? Perhaps. But there is another simple way to enlighten your gut microbes: diet. Changing to a Mediterranean-style diet, high in a variety of greens, fish, nuts, and ferments, can improve your gut microbiome in one or two weeks.

Your gut microbes really crave prebiotic fiber, which is found in veggies like onions, lentils, asparagus, artichokes, and beans. When beneficial microbes consume fiber, they produce short-chain fatty acids including butyrate, which both heals and nourishes the cells lining your gut. With a robust gut lining, bacteria stay out of your bloodstream, where they definitely don’t belong.

The growth of good microbes crowds out pathogenic bacteria in your gut, eliminating toxins and leading to better all-around health. The news of a healthy gut travels fast: The message races up your vagus nerve to your brain, ultimately leading to improved mood and cognition.

In Sum

The benefits of meditation may not be all in our heads; our gut microbes may improve as well. That could lead to greater gut integrity, preventing “leakiness” that can allow toxins and bacteria to enter the bloodstream, where they get pumped to every organ in our body. This finding, if it is substantiated in further research, could make meditation an important part of a healthy strategy to keep your gut-brain axis functioning at its peak.

Along with meditation, eating a healthy Mediterranean-style diet can help you stay happy and mentally alert. Dealing with modern-day stressors may be easier than you thought!