A Comprehensive Review of Medicinal Herbs Improving Gut-Brain Health

Have you ever had a gut feeling or had butterflies in your stomach? These sensations originating from your abdomen suggest a possible connection between your gut and brain. Moreover, recent studies suggest that the condition of your abdomen might affect the condition of your brain and vice versa. In recent times, experts and the general public have paid more attention to the brain-gut axis. Numerous studies are being conducted to identify the processes linking alterations in brain function to the composition of the gut microbiome. It should go without saying that the gut microbiota is important for neurogenesis, mental and cognitive development, emotions, behavior, and the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. Several studies, both preclinical and clinical, demonstrate how the gut microbiota can influence overall health. The gut microbiota produces important biological products through the gut-brain axis that are directly associated with the onset and progression of neurological and psychiatric conditions such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. As the problem with gut health is fixed, symptoms usually become better. Researchers have discovered many medicinal herbs that may be useful in their quest for better mental and digestive health as well as the restoration of the brain-gut axis balance. The best herbs and phytochemicals that enhance brain function by modifying the gut flora are covered in this chapter.