Gut Health & Depression — The Hidden Root Cause Affecting Your Mood

By Dr. Boris Nektalov, DNM, DC — Enzyme Nutrition Specialist | Nektalov Chiropractic & Wellness, Forest Hills, Queens NY

Last updated: April 30, 2026

Persistent low mood, fatigue, lack of motivation — these are symptoms most people attribute entirely to the brain. And while brain chemistry is part of the picture, research increasingly points to another major player: the gut.

If you've tried multiple approaches to managing depression without lasting results, it may be worth looking at what's happening in your digestive system.

The Gut Produces the Chemicals That Shape Your Mood

Your gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria living in your digestive tract — is directly involved in producing serotonin, the neurotransmitter most associated with mood regulation. A significant portion of the body's serotonin is synthesized in the gut, not the brain.

When the microbiome is disrupted — through stress, poor diet, or impaired digestion — serotonin production can drop. So can dopamine and GABA, both essential for emotional stability. The result is often a mood that feels flat, anxious, or persistently low, without a clear external cause.

The Gut-Brain Axis

The gut and brain are in constant communication through the gut-brain axis, a network of nerves and biochemical signals anchored by the vagus nerve. Importantly, roughly 90% of the signals on this pathway travel from the gut to the brain — meaning your digestive health is continuously influencing how you feel, think, and respond to stress.

This is why patients dealing with chronic fatigue, brain fog, or low mood often also report digestive symptoms like bloating, irregularity, or food sensitivities. These aren't unrelated complaints. They're often different expressions of the same underlying imbalance.

Inflammation and the Depression Connection

A healthy gut lining depends on beneficial bacteria that feed on dietary fiber and produce short-chain fatty acids — compounds that reduce inflammation and support brain health. When the microbiome is imbalanced, this protective mechanism breaks down.

The result is low-grade, chronic inflammation that can extend to the brain itself, contributing to the fatigue, cognitive fog, and mood disruption associated with depression. This inflammatory cycle is one reason why addressing gut health — not just brain chemistry — can shift outcomes for people who haven't responded fully to conventional treatment.

How Chronic Stress Makes It Worse

Stress doesn't just affect your mind. It suppresses digestive enzyme production, alters stomach acid levels, and disrupts normal gut motility. When this continues over months or years, it leads to poor nutrient absorption, microbiome imbalance, and nutrient deficiencies that directly affect brain function.

The cycle compounds itself: poor gut health worsens mood, and poor mood further stresses the digestive system. Breaking that cycle requires addressing both sides.

How We Approach This at Nektalov Chiropractic & Wellness

Chiropractic care is one tool in this picture that often gets overlooked. Proper spinal alignment and nervous system function are essential for regulating the body's stress response and supporting communication along the gut-brain axis. Patients receiving spinal adjustments or decompression therapy frequently report improvements in sleep, energy, and mental clarity alongside pain relief — because these systems are interconnected.

As an enzyme nutrition specialist, Dr. Nektalov also works with patients on the internal side of this equation. Digestive enzyme support helps ensure food is properly broken down into the nutrients the body needs for neurotransmitter production. Targeted dietary changes — increasing fiber-rich vegetables, reducing processed foods and sugar, incorporating fermented foods — can meaningfully shift the microbiome over time.

A Few Practical Starting Points

• Increase dietary fiber through vegetables to feed beneficial bacteria.
• Add fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, or kimchi to support microbiome diversity.
• Ask about digestive enzyme support if bloating, fatigue, or brain fog are recurring issues.
• Address sleep and chronic stress as non-negotiables, not afterthoughts.

An Important Note

If you are experiencing severe depression or acute mental health symptoms, please seek appropriate medical care. This article is not a substitute for that evaluation or treatment. For individuals dealing with chronic low mood, fatigue, or mood imbalance that hasn't fully responded to other approaches, gut health is a meaningful and often overlooked factor worth exploring.

Ready to Look at the Full Picture?

At Nektalov Chiropractic & Wellness in Forest Hills, Queens, we assess root causes — not just symptoms. If your mood, energy, or mental clarity has been an ongoing struggle, your gut may be part of the conversation. Contact our office to schedule a consultation.

108-50 71st Ave, Lower Level, Forest Hills, NY 11375 · (718) 275-9000 · drnektalov@nektalovhealth.com