Ruth Carpio MA, CCC-SLP
WHAT IS THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION?
During my years providing speech therapy in the schools, I enjoyed working with young children to help them expand their speech and language skills. However, as a professional who worked one-on-one with children, I would often sit with a single child during their mealtime, noticing the processed foods they would bring for snacks or that were served to them in school. I knew that as parents and educators we could support children’s brain development and consequently speech and language development by providing them with a nutritious whole foods diet. I didn’t know it then, but subconsciously I understood that the gut-brain connection was a big piece of the puzzle and one that needed to be acknowledged if our children were to develop optimally in the long run. This is why now, as a speech therapist in private practice, I like to have conversations with parents about food sensitivities and the gut-brain connection.
You may have heard that the gut is known as the second brain because of the intricate connection between the digestive system and the nervous system. More specifically, the vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body, carries signals between the brain, the heart and the digestive system. The vagus nerve regulates things like heart rate, blood pressure, mood, breathing, speech, swallowing and digestion. As a speech therapist, I learned a lot about the vagus nerve in graduate school. After all, speech, breathing and swallowing are what speech therapy is all about.
However, after becoming certified in the areas of Yoga and Ayurveda, I now have a more holistic view of the vagus nerve. The fact that this nerve is involved in regulating so many different bodily functions means that speech and language development are also connected to these different functions. For example, the state of your mood and the quality of your breath can have a direct effect on your speech production. We can easily see this when we observe someone who is depressed speaking in a soft, monotonous voice.
THE GUT AND SPEECH/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
But what does the gut-brain connection tell us about speech and language development? Based on the role played by the vagus nerve in the body, it makes sense that whatever is going on in your gut will significantly affect what is going on in the brain. For example, when the digestive system is sluggish, then our mental state may not be optimal. On the other hand, when our digestion is working well, our minds are more focused and we can process thoughts and emotions and learn new things much more effectively. Hence, in children, when the digestive system is working correctly, the body does not have to expend too much energy on digestion and this energy is freed up for learning, growing and developing things like speech and language.
Research shows that imbalances within the microbiome found in the gut can significantly impact speech development. If you have ever experienced a stressful situation, you may recall feeling a disturbance within the gut. This is a prime example of how our digestion is intricately connected to our brains. This is why during a speech and language evaluation and throughout the course of speech therapy sessions, I like to ask parents about dietary issues, allergies and sensitivities that children might have.
THE ROLE OF THE SPEECH THERAPIST
Due to the fact that speech therapists also provide feeding therapy, we tend to ask parents questions about diet, especially as it concerns picky eaters and swallowing disorders (also known as dysphagia). However, few speech therapists ask about a child’s diet in order to gain knowledge about the gut microbiome. This is understandable, as this is not something that is necessarily touched upon or taught to speech language pathologists at the undergraduate or graduate levels.
However, comprehending the gut-brain connection is something that could enhance our ability to remediate speech and language disorders and feeding disorders in young children. Researchers have found that when we improve our gut microbiome, we can improve our cognitive function. This is promising when considering treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease as well as in the treatment of neurological disorders such as Autism and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, scientific research supports the use of probiotics and prebiotics in the treatment of these cognitive impairments. These findings further support the existence of the gut-brain axis and the idea that improving digestion and gut health are an integral part of improving brain development in children. It is important to remember that the systems of the body are interconnected and that without improving overall cognition, we cannot improve speech and language because these functions reside in the brain.
THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD WE EAT
In today’s modern world, where we are constantly stressed out and rushing, we tend to underestimate and even ignore the importance of the quality of the food we are eating and the environment in which we are eating those foods. In Ayurveda, which is considered the sister science of yoga, it is understood that we do not only digest the food we eat, but the energies and emotions around them. So if a child often consumes meals while watching stressful or overstimulating television shows, this will take a toll on their digestive system, and consequently on the child’s cognitive well-being.
Further, it is important to note that digesting food takes a lot of energy from the body and can even stress the body if the foods chosen are causing allergies and/or sensitivities. While food allergies in children may sometimes be apparent (rashes, stomach upset, hives), parents may not always notice that a food or food group is having negative effects on the child’s gut microbiome. Some examples of symptoms of food sensitivities that are not immediately apparent and that can build up over time include behavior issues such as excessive tantrums, hitting, mood issues or even increased “stimming” in children with autism.
Food sensitivities and behavior problems in kids can occur when children eat foods that they are intolerant to and their bodies produce cytokines (substances secreted by immune cells), which cause inflammation in the brain. The result of this inflammation may look like irritability, anxiety, aggression, depression, tantrums, meltdowns and even brain fog. Consequently, when the brain is chronically inflamed or when we are experiencing strong emotions on a regular basis, we are less likely to be able to develop speech and language effectively. This is because so much energy is being expended on bringing the body back into homeostasis or balance, that the body will not have additional energy reserves available for other things.
It is also important to note that foods that cause allergies and sensitivities do not necessarily have to be one of the more popular allergens such as nuts and dairy (although these are some of the usual culprits). While it is important to consider dairy and nuts as potential allergens, it is just as important to consider food additives such as MSG (which could be hidden in food labels such as “natural flavors”), sodium and potassium benzoate (and other preservatives), artificial colors, processed sugars, processed salt (which may contain arsenic, has been bleached and stripped of minerals) and citric acid (linked to digestive upset).
WHAT CAN WE DO TO SUPPORT THE GUT-BRAIN AXIS?
Some of the best ways to support the gut-brain axis in our children’s development involves avoiding frequent consumption of processed foods. Learning to check for ingredients in canned and packaged foods is another helpful approach. Sticking to a mostly whole foods diet (organic fruits and vegetables, good quality probiotics, properly prepared whole grains and organic protein of choice) can have a huge impact on the gut health of the child and consequently, on the child’s speech and language development. When I first embarked on the journey of detoxifying my own diet, I was surprised to see how many additives were in simple things such coconut milk, almond milk and even in tomato sauce. Yes, I thought I was eating a healthy diet. But I still had a journey ahead of me.
It took me years to realize that my eldest daughter was extremely sensitive to most forms of dairy (raw and pasteurized), unsoaked nuts and grains and any packaged foods containing citric acids. Even though our diet was mostly organic and cooked at home, I had not yet realized that the method in which we prepared foods (e.g., soaking and fermentation of grains) and how we combined our foods could have a major effect on how difficult or easy it would be to digest those foods. Once we cut out most dairy (except for fermented dairy in the form of homemade kefir and organic raw cheeses) and began limiting and soaking our nuts and grains, we saw major improvements in emotional self-regulation.
Research has supported the presence of bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain (microbiota-gut-brain-axis). For this reason, it is beneficial that parents and speech therapists consider the child’s diet in order to gain a better overall picture of what factors may be contributing to a child’s speech and language delays and disorders. Even when speech therapists feel that they are not trained to counsel parents on the quality of the child’s diet, this information can point parents in the right direction in supporting their child’s language development, when the therapist makes recommendations for parents to work with specialists such as dietitians, nutritionists or functional and integrative medical professionals.
My name is Ruth Carpio MA, CCC-SLP, CYT and I am a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist, Certified Yoga Teacher, and homeschool mom of two wonderful daughters. Through my private teletherapy practice, I provide holistic speech therapy for children and adults. When I am not treating clients, I am gardening, spending time with my chickens, and enjoying the great outdoors.
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