70: Dr. Uma Naidoo: How Nutrition and Gut Healing Can Help Mental Health

An autism diagnosis can be overwhelming, complex and difficult to manage. Integrative approaches, however, have so much more to offer than conventional ones, by looking beyond behaviour to what is actually happening in the body. In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I interview Dr. Armen Nikogosian, a physician specialising in functional and integrative approaches to autism, and we explore the biological systems he evaluates in his clinical practice, and their potential relationship with symptoms in people with autism – from inflammation and immune dysregulation to gut health, mitochondrial dysfunction, infections and environmental exposures. Drawing on his clinical experience, Dr. Nikogosian explains why he approaches each patient individually, looking for potential physiological stressors rather than viewing autism through a single pathway. We explore the relationship between the gut, immune system and brain, the importance of mitochondrial function and why he investigates factors such as mould exposure, Lyme disease and other infections in some of the patients he sees. But what happens when some of those underlying systems have been addressed? Dr. Nikogosian discusses his search for neuroregenerative therapies, including his work with exosomes and why their potential effects on synaptic plasticity have become an important focus of his practice. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Nikogosian is clear that there are "no silver bullet treatments in autism". Instead, he makes the case for understanding each person's biology individually, identifying factors that may be affecting their health and considering how different approaches might support their function and quality of life. We also explore the increasing prevalence of autism, the roles Dr. Nikogosian believes genetics and environmental factors may play, and the questions this raises about how we understand autism and support those people living with it. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Dr. Nikogosian looks beyond behavioural symptoms to inflammation, immune function, mitochondrial health, the gut and environmental exposures.

An autism diagnosis can be overwhelming, complex and difficult to manage. Integrative approaches, however, have so much more to offer than conventional ones, by looking beyond behaviour to what is actually happening in the body. In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I interview Dr. Armen Nikogosian, a physician specialising in functional and integrative approaches to autism, and we explore the biological systems he evaluates in his clinical practice, and their potential relationship with symptoms in people with autism – from inflammation and immune dysregulation to gut health, mitochondrial dysfunction, infections and environmental exposures. Drawing on his clinical experience, Dr. Nikogosian explains why he approaches each patient individually, looking for potential physiological stressors rather than viewing autism through a single pathway. We explore the relationship between the gut, immune system and brain, the importance of mitochondrial function and why he investigates factors such as mould exposure, Lyme disease and other infections in some of the patients he sees. But what happens when some of those underlying systems have been addressed? Dr. Nikogosian discusses his search for neuroregenerative therapies, including his work with exosomes and why their potential effects on synaptic plasticity have become an important focus of his practice. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Nikogosian is clear that there are "no silver bullet treatments in autism". Instead, he makes the case for understanding each person's biology individually, identifying factors that may be affecting their health and considering how different approaches might support their function and quality of life. We also explore the increasing prevalence of autism, the roles Dr. Nikogosian believes genetics and environmental factors may play, and the questions this raises about how we understand autism and support those people living with it. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Dr. Nikogosian looks beyond behavioural symptoms to inflammation, immune function, mitochondrial health, the gut and environmental exposures.

Anxiety, depression and chronic stress are usually approached through psychology and the brain – but what if some of the biological processes influencing our mental health begin much further down, in the gut? In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, I sit down with Dr. Oscar Coetzee, clinician, researcher and educator working at the intersection of psychology and nutritional science, to explore the gut–brain connection, the microbiome and the nutritional foundations of mental health. Dr. Coetzee explains how the bacteria living in our gut can influence inflammation, nutrient metabolism and the amino acids needed to make neurotransmitters and why he believes gut and nutritional health deserve greater consideration alongside psychiatry and psychotherapy. Together, we explore the role of anaerobic keystone bacteria, what can happen when beneficial microbial communities are depleted and how increased gut permeability and LPS-producing bacteria may contribute to systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation. We also look at factors that may disrupt this system, from chronic psychological stress (which can affect both nutritional requirements and our ability to digest and assimilate nutrients) and constant digital stimulation, to diet, alcohol, medications and environmental exposures. Dr. Coetzee's message is not simply to take more probiotics or supplements. Instead, he makes the case for a more personalised approach that takes into account the gut, nutrition, metabolism and individual biology alongside psychological and psychiatric care. In this way he brings together psychiatry, therapy and what he calls psychonutrigenomics together as three complementary pillars of mental health care. In this episode, you'll learn: How gut health and mental health are interconnected and how the microbiome can influence inflammation, nutrient metabolism and neurotransmitter pathways.

I started dancing 5 Rhythms about a year ago, and it changed my life. I met a whole new tribe of like minded people who have become fast friends, learned to inhabit my body in ways I never had before, healed some of my childhood wounding, discovered Joy in a way that had always eluded me, and enjoyed a year of personal freedom, exploration and growth which have profoundly changed me. Who knew that dance could be so powerful? Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark, herself a physician and dancer, understands the power of dance, and the science behind its healing benefits. But she also understands the power of other cultural and lifestyle traditions which form part of the ancient medicine practiced by our ancestors. In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, Dr. Geeta Maker-Clark raises an important question: have we become so focused on increasingly sophisticated treatments, testing and biomarkers that we are overlooking some of the most fundamental determinants of our mental and physical health? Drawing on her new book Medicine for All People: Science and Ancient Wisdom for Revolutionary Healing, Dr. Maker-Clark explores the medicines we may have forgotten to value: nature, food, plants, relationships, community, movement, dance, gratitude and play. Dr. Maker-Clark's approach brings together biomedical science, integrative medicine and ancestral wisdom without dismissing any of them. She argues that even functional medicine can become reductionist when it focuses exclusively on biomarkers and biochemical precision, while overlooking the environments and relationships in which people actually live. We explore why health is not simply created in the exam room; how loneliness and social connection can affect stress physiology, inflammation, immunity and mortality risk; why our increasingly indoor and digital lives may be distancing us from important biological inputs; and why Getta describes community as 'the vagal nerve stimulator of our times'. We also look at the emerging science behind some of these forgotten medicines. Why might time in nature affect mood and circadian biology? What happens when dance brings together aerobic movement, rhythm, memory, emotion and social connection? And can practices such as gratitude help us train our attention without denying the reality of suffering? Finally, we explore "primordial prevention": the idea that rather than waiting for disease or even its risk factors to emerge, we can create environments and ways of living in which those risks are less likely to develop in the first place. In this episode, you will learn: Why medicine belongs to everyone and should not be reserved for those who can afford expensive testing, supplements or specialist care.

An overstimulated nervous system is my chronic problem, and the problem of many of us in our current society with its 24/7 connectivity and therefore constant demands and stimulation. And that's just tech. Not to mention other contributing factors such as disrupted circadian rhythms, lack of nature and natural light, lack of sleep, processed foods, pollutants in the air, water and soil, and nutritional deficiencies. Of all the interventions I have ever done to reset my nervous system, one found in the ancient practice of Ayurveda has proven to be the most effective – known as the queen of Ayurvedic cures, the Panchakarma is a prolonged nervous system reset and detoxification protocol with incredible results. I always come away completely reset and restored. So I was thrilled to find a fellow aficionado from the medical world with data in her pocket, psychiatrist Dr. Judith Pentz , In this episode of the MindHealth360 Show, we sit down to explore what the ancient Indian healing system of Ayurveda can teach us about some of the most modern problems affecting our mental health – chronic stress, overstimulation, poor sleep, nervous-system dysregulation and our increasing difficulty creating space for genuine self-care. Dr. Pentz's journey into Ayurveda began after a health scare during perimenopause led her to experience Panchakarma, an intensive personalised Ayurvedic cleansing programme in India. What began as an attempt to support her physical health became something much deeper. She describes how repeated Panchakarma experiences affected not only her body, but also brought unresolved trauma, emotional patterns and questions of meaning and purpose to the surface. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, she reflects on how many adults may carry wounds from childhood without fully recognising their impact. Together, we explore Ayurveda's highly personalised approach to health, including the doshas and the idea that modern life itself can push many of us towards imbalance through constant stimulation. Dr. Pentz explains why healing is not something that happens passively: sleep, food, breathwork, movement, boundaries, relationships and small daily rituals all influence how regulated and resilient we feel. We also explore the idea that physical cleansing, emotional processing and spiritual growth may be more connected than Western medicine traditionally assumes – and why sometimes the smallest "life-affirming choices" can be the beginning of meaningful change. In this episode, you'll learn: Why modern overstimulation can leave us with poor sleep, scattered thinking and a dysregulated nervous system.