Do you recall a stressful time when your health suffered? I remember when I got a terrible cold right before the go-live of a new computer system at work and ended up sick for months. I didn’t know stress could weaken my immune system.
Stress, chronic inflammation, and poor gut health cause most chronic diseases. When stress persists and becomes chronic, it can lead to a cycle of dysfunction and disease.
Let’s dig in to find out how stress affects gut health and how to fix it.
The role of chronic stress in health
Acute stress is short term and can be beneficial. It improves your resilience to handle life’s challenges. During stress, our bodies prepare for danger by increasing heart rate and blood pressure, and releasing hormones to make us more alert to handle the situation.
But chronic stress lasting months or years takes a toll on our physical and mental health. The result is chronic inflammation and illness. Some symptoms of chronic stress are insomnia, fatigue, muscle aches, high blood pressure, weakened immune system, indigestion, and heartburn.
The gut-brain connection
Stress has a significant impact on gut health because of its interference with the gut-brain connection. The vagus nerve, the longest nerve of the body, connects the gut and the brain. Extending from the brain to the large intestine, it attaches to all organs in the abdomen.
The vagus nerve helps maintain a healthy gut, which is essential for our overall health. It promotes a relaxed state, maintaining the balance between the gut and the brain.
How does this work? First, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems comprise the autonomic nervous system. The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system.
Next, the parasympathetic system is in control when we are engaged, relaxed, grounded, and mindful. Healing of the body occurs in this rest and digest state.
However, when we encounter a threat or stressful situation, the sympathetic system triggers the fight-or-flight response. The body cannot relax and experience restoration and healing during stress when the sympathetic system is in control.
The gut microbiome
Our gut is home to over 100,000 trillion microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and viruses, called the gut microbiome, or microbiota. Disruption of the gut-brain connection by stress affects gut health because the gut microbiome performs many important functions of the body.
For example, gut bacteria break down undigested soluble fiber in the colon and produce chemicals called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The SCFAs perform many important functions of the body, such as lowering cholesterol and LDL levels, stabilizing blood glucose, producing hormones, controlling the appetite, lowering inflammation, enhancing the immune system, and promoting a healthy gut.
In addition, the gut produces a majority of the body’s serotonin, a neurotransmitter and hormone linked to mood, and the gut bacteria are vital to this process. Therefore, disruption in the gut microbiome affects hormone and neurotransmitter production, influencing our mood and state of mind.
Next steps
Now that we know how stress affects gut health, how do we fix it?
Manage stress
Here are some ideas for managing stress. Experiment and find out what works for you.
- Prayer
- Exercise
- Go outside and enjoy God’s creation
- Get adequate rest and sleep
- Breathing exercises, yoga, meditation
- Work in the garden
- Pet a dog or cat
- Take a warm bath with Epsom salts and lavender essential oil
Nurture your gut bacteria
Our gut bacteria eat what we eat, and they love fiber! So, increase fiber intake by eating sources of prebiotic fiber such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
Also, add probiotics to your diet. Probiotics are live organisms in fermented foods and supplements that support the digestive health of the gut.
Final words
Now we know stress affects gut health and how to fix it. Develop habits to reduce stress and nurture your gut bacteria.
Wellness is a journey, not a destination, so start now by adopting one healthy habit to reduce stress. What will you do first?
Disclaimer
Any information on this Website is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by a healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this Website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease or prescribing any medication or other treatment. You should always speak with a healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or adopting any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, promptly contact a healthcare professional.
