Are your gut issues actually caused by stress?
Have you ever met someone and felt that sensation of butterflies in your stomach? Found yourself running to the toilet before an important work presentation, or perhaps you couldn’t even go at all? Is it nerves or excitement? If you are wondering why, just ask your second brain. After all, it is key to understanding your gut issues, and here’s why.
Your Second Brain: The Gut
Your gut, which has its own nervous system—the Enteric Nervous System, or ENS—has, rightfully so, been dubbed our second brain.
It can work on its own as well as communicate directly with your brain. This is a tireless job, one where both gut and brain exchange messages at all times of the day and night. This intricate, constant communication is also known as the “gut-brain axis”.
The Gut Brain Connection
This strong connection between the gut and the brain is supported by a complex network that includes both neurons and chemicals. The key player in this conversation is the vagus nerve, which is one of the biggest nerves connecting the gut to the brain ,sending messages in both directions.
Another way the gut and brain communicate is through the release of chemicals such as neurotransmitters and hormones, many of which are actually produced by our gut cells and gut microbes. A great example is the neurotransmitter and hormone, serotonin, also known as the happy hormone. Responsible for regulating both our mood and GI function, 95% of it is produced in our gut.
Is your stress the root cause?
Gut issues are not all triggered because of what you eat. In fact, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) was just medically recategorised to explain exactly that. IBS is now considered a disorder of gut-brain interaction rather than a functional issue of simply “my gut can’t digest this food”.
Plenty of research shows that in people with gut issues, such as IBS, the communication between the gut and brain is dysregulated. A gut that is flaring up will send signals to the brain, and a brain that is stressed and anxious will send signals back to the gut. As a result, communication between the two is intensified, leading to the worsening of symptoms such as bloating, constipation, stomach pain, diarrhoea and more.
Furthermore, stress affects both the gut and our gut microbiome leading to more symptoms. Stress and anxiety can also increase our perception of pain in people with stomach issues, worsening feelings of discomfort.
Hippocrates said: “If you don’t treat the mind, you don’t treat the whole person.”
Understanding gut issues can be a struggle. From the latest findings in scientific research we are realising that it is essential to work on our gut-brain connection to tame some of our gut issues. Mental health and gut health should go hand-in-hand. Scientists and medical doctors in the field are embracing the notion that a more holistic and multidisciplinary approach to treating gut symptoms is the way to go.
So far if you’ve solely been focusing on your diet, it would be worth considering some evidence-based techniques that support gut brain communication. Studies show that targeting stress with activities such as diaphragmatic breathing, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, gut-directed hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) could tame gut issues.
Try The Gut Feeling app for gut issues to find relief through the gut brain connection. Kick start your relief with our 3 week programme delivered by leading Gastroenterologists, Psychologists and Dietitians.
References
Rome Disorders of gut brain interaction
What is a Disorder of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) - Rome Foundation (theromefoundation.org)
Michigan university diaphragmatic breathing.
GI Behavioral Therapy | Michigan Medicine (uofmhealth.org)
Jagielski CH, Riehl ME. Behavioral Strategies for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Brain-Gut or Gut-Brain? Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 2021 Sep;50(3):581-593. PMID: 34304789.