Dr. Eboni Cornish, MD
Associate Medical Director,
Amen Clinics
We’re in the middle of a mental health crisis—but we’re also witnessing a transformation.
For too long, mental health has been treated as separate from physical health. But we now know that the brain and body are deeply connected. At Amen Clinics, we believe something simple yet revolutionary: mental health is brain health. And that means we must look at the whole person—especially the gut.
More and more, science is proving what many of us have seen for years in clinical practice: when the gut is out of balance, the brain suffers. The gut and brain are in constant communication through what’s called the gut-brain axis. This network of nerves, immune signals, and hormones connects your digestive system to your central nervous system. And right at the center of it all is the microbiome—the trillions of bacteria living in your gut.
When the gut microbiome is diverse and balanced, it helps produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, keeps inflammation in check, and supports the immune system. But when that ecosystem is disrupted—whether by antibiotics, infections, toxins, stress, or poor diet—it can send inflammatory signals to the brain. That inflammation can affect how we think, feel, and function.
This isn’t just theory. In my practice, I see patients every day with anxiety, panic attacks, depression, brain fog, fatigue, or even memory problems—and many of them also have a history of gut issues. What we often discover through testing is that their gut microbiome is off, their immune system is overstimulated, and their brain is inflamed.
That’s where SPECT brain imaging comes in. At Amen Clinics, we use SPECT scans to see what’s actually happening in the brain—how blood flows, where inflammation may be occurring, and whether areas are overactive or underactive. SPECT helps us go beyond guesswork and match symptoms to what we can physically see in the brain. It’s especially powerful for people who’ve been misdiagnosed or whose lab tests look “normal” but still don’t feel like themselves.
We also combine this with advanced lab testing to evaluate the gut microbiome, look for chronic infections like Lyme, Epstein-Barr, or mold toxicity, and assess for immune dysfunction or neuroinflammation. It’s a full-body investigation that lets us treat the root cause instead of just masking symptoms.
This is a different kind of mental health care. It’s not about throwing another medication at the problem. It’s about asking why the brain isn’t functioning well—and tracing it back to the gut, immune system, or environment.
What’s exciting is that healing the gut can bring real changes in how people feel and think. Supporting the microbiome with foods rich in fiber and fermented ingredients, reducing sugar and processed foods, staying hydrated, and managing stress are all essential steps. For many of my patients, we also use probiotics, herbal antimicrobials, detox protocols, and nervous system support like vagus nerve stimulation or IV nutrients.
We’re also learning that gut-brain health looks different across age groups. Kids with gut imbalances may show hyperactivity, mood swings, or learning challenges. Adults might experience anxiety or chronic fatigue. Older adults may begin to notice brain fog or memory decline. The gut-brain axis affects everyone—but the expression of imbalance is personal, which is why individualized care is so important.
This isn’t just about treating illness. It’s about optimizing health, energy, mood, and focus by supporting the systems that drive them. And it’s not just science—it’s also deeply human. So many people feel dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told “it’s all in your head.” But when we show them their brain scans, their lab results, and connect the dots, they finally feel seen—and we can begin real healing.
If we want to transform mental health care, we have to start with a different conversation. Mental health is not just emotional. It’s biological. It’s immune. It’s inflammatory. And most importantly—it’s reversible.
We are in the middle of a mental health revolution. Not one led by stigma or silence, but by science and strategy. And it starts by healing the brain through the gut.
Want to learn more? Follow @dr.ebonicornish and @amenclinics on Instagram for real-world strategies, educational content, and empowering tools to support your brain and body—from the inside out.
