The gut-brain axis: Confidence in cooking and mental health

For many, cooking at home for yourself and others can bring comfort, satisfaction and joy. It can also help ensure you eat healthier meals. But for some, having a lack of cooking skills and poor food literacy can be a barrier. Recent research has shown that participants in a cooking class have experienced not only an increase in their cooking confidence, but also improved mental health.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Edith Cowan University, Jo Rees, conducted this study with her colleagues as part of her PhD. She says her interest in the gut-brain axis (the relationship between your gut microbiome and your brain) prompted her to explore the links between cooking confidence and mental health.

Read the short article in Teacher Magazine that explores the benefits of increasing cooking confidence.