Dr. Berg’s Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting Podcast

Depression Has NOTHING to Do With Your Brain

May 12, 2025

Discover the surprising relationship between depression and gut health. It turns out, the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in emotional well-being, challenging the notion that depression solely stems from brain chemistry. Traditional treatments like SSRIs may not effectively address the root causes and often come with undesirable side effects. Explore the benefits of St. John’s wort and the vital role of the vagus nerve in connecting gut health to mental wellness. Learn how improving gut health can pave the way for improved mood and reduced depression.

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INSIGHT

Depression Origin Misconception

Depression is not caused by a brain chemical imbalance but is related to the gut.
SSRIs block serotonin uptake but do not effectively fix depression and have serious side effects.

INSIGHT

St. John's Wort Benefits

St. John's wort treats depression by impacting serotonin, dopamine, reducing inflammation and cortisol.
It has few side effects and can outperform placebos unlike SSRIs.

INSIGHT

Gut-Brain Connection

The gut produces serotonin and oxytocin, both crucial for mood and bonding.
The vagus nerve is the major communication highway linking gut health with brain function.

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What causes depression? Surprisingly, depression has nothing to do with your brain and everything to do with your gut microbiome. In this video, we’ll take an in-depth look at the brain-gut connection and the often overlooked relationship between depression and gut health.

0:00 Introduction: Depression explained

1:17 Side effects of SSRIs

1:32 St. John’s wort and depression

2:27 The brain-gut connection

3:22 Depression and gut health

3:40 Depression and gut inflammation

3:51 Antibiotics and depression

4:33 L. reuteri and mental health

Depression has consistently been viewed as a chemical imbalance, but it's actually related to a problem with the gut.

Depression is often treated with SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), but many studies show normal serotonin levels in people with depression.

SSRIs do not fix depression and have even been called placebos by some medical professionals. They also come with serious side effects, including sexual dysfunction, decreased libido, inability to experience emotion, and worsening depression.

St. John’s wort affects both serotonin and dopamine. It’s an anti-inflammatory and reduces cortisol, but doctors and the medical world often recommend against it despite its very few side effects.

Serotonin and oxytocin are made in the gut. Oxytocin is a powerful hormone that can help with depression and stress, so gut health is at the core of mental health. The vagus nerve works as a highway that orchestrates the brain and gut connection.

If you have a problem with your gut microbes, this can lead to depression. Studies have found serious microbes missing in depressed people! Gut inflammation can also alter your mood.

One of the side effects of antibiotics is depression. Antibiotics erase the good bacteria that control your mood chemicals. Once wiped away, microbes don't always come back, and you could be left with an imbalance.

L. reuteri is an amazing microbe that many people are missing. Dr. William Davis has shared an expert technique for cultivating L. reuteri using half and half to increase its potency. People have consumed this probiotic mixture and experienced significant health benefits such as improved sleep, muscle tone, and reduced stress.

L. reuteri acts as a natural antibiotic without side effects and is found naturally in breast milk.