Pinch Magic Fiber & The Magic Gut-Brain Connection

When we started Pinch over half a decade ago, our goal was to simply help people poop better. And we made an excellent product that does exactly that. We knew fiber was key to this, helping improve gut health and ultimately delivering the amazing bathroom benefits.

What has been absolutely fascinating to learn over the years is the amount of emergent research revealing the connection between your gut health and your brain health. It is wildly interesting, and an extremely important new way we’ve learned fiber can help your holistic health.

This complex relationship between your gut health / microbiome and brain health is commonly referred to as the gut-brain connection, or gut-brain axis.

Mutually Supportive

The gut is home to trillions of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome. These microorganisms play a vital role in maintaining the health of the gut and the overall health of the body. The gut microbiome is responsible for a wide range of functions, including the production of neurotransmitters, the regulation of the immune system, and the metabolism of nutrients.

This gut-brain connection is bi-directional: the health of the gut can affect the health of the brain, and vice versa. Harvard Medical School emphasizes how important this is: “The gut-brain connection is no joke; it can link anxiety to stomach problems and vice versa.”

A healthy gut microbiome can have a positive impact on mental health. Studies have shown that people with a healthy gut microbiome even have a lower risk of developing depression and anxiety. As the Cleveland Clinic explains, “The “second brain” in our gut, in communication with the brain in our head, plays a key role in certain diseases in our bodies and in our overall mental health.”

Fiber FTW

Fiber is essential for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome. Soluble fibers, such as those found in fruits, vegetables, and legumes, are fermented by gut bacteria, which produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These SCFAs are essential for maintaining the health of the gut lining and promoting a healthy gut-brain connection. Insoluble fibers, such as those found in whole grains, nuts, and seeds, promote regular bowel movements and prevent constipation, which also helps maintain a healthy gut-brain connection.

Critically, the fiber we use in Pinch has both soluble and insoluble properties to offer a holistic gut microbiome support. As Berding, Carbia, and Cryan explain in their journal published in the National Library of Medicine, “More recently, adequate dietary fiber intake (often a hallmark of diet quality) has also emerged as an important factor in supporting mental well-being by lowering odds of developing depression.”

Onward!

The gut-brain connection is a complex and dynamic relationship, and more research is needed to fully understand the implications of this connection on overall health. However, it is clear that maintaining a healthy gut is important for overall health, and a diet high in fiber is one way to do this. Do yourself a solid and make sure you’re treating your body to the fiber it needs each day.

Our goal is to help support your healthy gut health / microbiome one tasty scoop at a time!