By Nur Diyana
This exhibition, in collaboration with NUS Graduate School (NUSGS), explores the connection between gut health and mental well-being. As the demands of academic life can significantly impact mental health, understanding the role of gut health offers insights into managing stress, improving focus, and enhancing overall well-being. Additionally, practicing gratitude can also help manage stress. The following publications have been curated to provide an exploratory understanding of how maintaining a healthy gut and exercising gratitude can impact overall mental health:
The Mind-Gut Connection discusses the communication between the gut and brain, showing how this interaction affects mood, decisions, and mental health. Mayer’s work emphasises the importance of gut health in maintaining overall well-being.
Notes on a Nervous Planet considers the effects of modern life on mental health. While not solely focused on gut health, Haig highlights how lifestyle factors, including diet, influence our mental state.
I Think Therefore I Eat examines the philosophical aspects of food and its impact on health. Cohen explores how our thinking shapes our eating habits, contributing to both mental and physical wellness.
Philosophies of Gratitude and Gratitude and Adaptive Coping Among Chinese Singaporeans During the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic focus on the role of gratitude in coping with stress. These works underline the importance of emotional health as part of mental well-being.
The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis and Microbiota and the Social Brain present research on how gut microbiota affects brain function and social behaviour, showing the direct link between gut health and mental processes.
Drugs, Guts, Brains, but Not Rock and Roll: The Need to Consider the Role of Gut Microbiota in Contemporary Mental Health and Wellness of Emerging Adults underscores the need to include gut health in discussions about mental wellness, particularly in young adults.
Find these curated books at the Collaborative Experiential Space at Central Library Level 4 (beside Staircase 6). In collaboration with NUSGS, the space currently features an exhibition on the NUSGS Student Life and Wellbeing Framework, mind-gut connection and wellbeing. Participate in the activity by writing notes of gratitude and hanging it on the Gratitude Tree!
You’re welcome to borrow the books on display! For those interested in looking deeper into the subject, do check these out:
Holford, P. (2010). Beat stress and fatigue: the drug-free guide to de-stressing and raising your energy levels. Piatkus.
Harris, D. (2014). 10% happier: how I tamed the voice in my head, reduced stress without losing my edge, and found self-help that actually works: a true story. It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Bailey, C. (2022). How to calm your mind: finding presence and productivity in anxious times (First Unit States). Penguin Life.
Felsenthal, E. (2021). Stress: how to control it, understand it, and let it go (Special Time). Heinrich Bauer Publishing.
Alidina, S. (2015). The mindful way through stress: the proven 8-week path to health, happiness, and well-being. The Guilford Press.
Spence, C. (. p., & Blumenthal, H. (2017). Gastrophysics: the new science of eating. Viking, an imprint of Penguin Books.
Demartini, J. F., & Androsova, N. (2007). The gratitude effect. Burman Books Inc.
Chapman, G. D., & White, P. E. (2019). The 5 languages of appreciation in the workplace: empowering organizations by encouraging people. Northfield Publishing.
Engels, J. D. (2018). The art of gratitude. State University of New York Press.
Roberts, R., & Telech, D. (2019). The moral psychology of gratitude. Rowman & Littlefield International Ltd.
Walshaw, M. (2015). Planning your postgraduate research. Palgrave.
Haggerty, K. D., & Doyle, A. (2015). 57 ways to screw up in grad school: perverse professional lessons for graduate students. The University of Chicago Press.
Shore, Z. (2016). Grad school essentials: a crash course in scholarly skills. University of California Press.
Mullaney, T. S., & Rea, C. G. (2022). Where research begins: choosing a research project that matters to you (and the world) (1st ed.). The University of Chicago Press.
Zaumanis, M. (2021). Write an impactful research paper: a scientific writing technique that will shape your academic career. Independently published.
Germano, W. P. (2021). On revision: the only writing that counts. University of Chicago Press.
Sutanto, C. N., Xia, X., Heng, C. W., Tan, Y. S., Lee, D. P. S., Fam, J., & Kim, J. E. (2024). The impact of 5-hydroxytryptophan supplementation on sleep quality and gut microbiota composition in older adults: A randomized controlled trial. Clinical Nutrition, 43(3), 593–602.
López-Otín, C., Blasco, M. A., Partridge, L., Serrano, M., & Kroemer, G. (2023). Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe. Cell, 186(2), 243–278.
Margolis, K. G., Cryan, J. F., & Mayer, E. A. (2021). The microbiota-gut-brain axis: From motility to mood. Gastroenterology, 160(5), 1486–1501.
Roberfroid, M., Gibson, G. R., Hoyles, L., McCartney, A. L., Rastall, R., Rowland, I., Wolvers, D., Watzl, B., Szajewska, H., Stahl, B., Guarner, F., Respondek, F., Whelan, K., Coxam, V., Davicco, M.-J., Léotoing, L., Wittrant, Y., Delzenne, N. M., Cani, P. D., … Meheust, A. (2010). Prebiotic effects: Metabolic and health benefits. British Journal of Nutrition, 104(S2), S1–S63.
Bischoff, S. C. (2011). “Gut health”: A new objective in medicine? BMC Medicine, 9(1), 24.
Marx, W., Moseley, G., Berk, M., & Jacka, F. (2017). Nutritional psychiatry: The present state of the evidence. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(4), 427–436.
Sears, C. L. (2005). A dynamic partnership: Celebrating our gut flora. Anaerobe, 11(5), 247–251.
