View the Show Notes For This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal Our global mental health crisis is growing at an exponential rate, with over half a billion people suffering from depression and anxiety; it’s time we rethink our understanding of the underlying root causes of mental health challenges. From treating thousands of patients, I’ve learned that depression is not in your head. It’s in your body. More specifically, your gut. When your gut is unhealthy and inflamed, your brain is unhealthy and inflamed. In Functional Medicine, we know that the gut and the brain are intimately connected and that the health of one directly influences the health of the other.  In today’s Health Bites episode, we’re diving into the gut-brain connection and sharing Functional Medicine tools to support your gut health and, as a result, your mood and mental health.  In this episode, I discuss: Our global mental health crisis (2:45) The gut-brain connection (4:18) The story of Marks's broken brain (5:15) Features of the gut-brain axis (8:57) Gut hormones that send signals to your brain (10:06) Role of the gut microbiota in mood and mental health (12:24) How stress negatively impacts our gut microbiome (20:14) The link between leaky gut and poor mental health (21:41) The Functional Medicine approach to fixing the gut (25:56) The 5R Program for fixing your gut health (30:09) This episode is brought to you by AG1 and Rupa Health. Get your daily serving of vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, and more with AG1. Head to DrinkAG1.com/Hyman and get 10 FREE travel packs + FREE Welcome Kit with your first order. Streamline your lab orders with Rupa Health. Access more than 3,000 specialty lab tests and register for a FREE live demo at RupaHealth.com.