The Gut-Brain Connection: Anxiety, Depression, and Wellness Fads with Dr. Trisha Pasricha

Forrest is joined by neurogastroenterologist Dr. Trisha Pasricha for a conversation about the gut-brain connection, including how gut health impacts our mood and mental health. Dr. Pasricha explains how the gut and the brain communicate, how early gut experiences can shape adult anxiety and depression, why GI symptoms are often misunderstood or dismissed, and what the research actually says about probiotics, leaky gut, and detoxification. They also discuss simple, evidence-based ways to improve gut health, dispelling social-media fueled myths along the way.

About our guest: Dr. Tricia Pasricha is a physician-scientist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and columnist for the Washington Post. Her new book, You've Been Pooping All Wrong (amazon.com/Youve-Been-Pooping-All-Wrong/dp/059…), explains the connection between your gut, your brain, and your mental health.

Key Topics:

0:00 Intro: what's neurogastroenterology?

5:48: Believing your patient

9:31: The lifelong impact of childhood gut issues

18:27: The relationship between the gut and the brain

23:20: The tiktokification of gut health information

30:56: Probiotics – do they help?

34:15: The microbiome

43:34: Advice to people with gut issues

46:21: What about cleanses?

55:52: Recap

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