The Gut-Brain Connection

Ever get that “gut” feeling something isn’t right? Or those butterflies in your stomach that start fluttering around when you get nervous or anxious? That brings many to question… Are the brain and the gut really connected?

We've known that gut health is tied to digestion and immune health, but we've become increasingly aware that our gut, specifically the balance of good and bad bacteria, has a significant impact on our mental health.

Although the two are very different from one another, an unhappy gut can create an unhappy mind. As a matter of fact, the gut has its very own nervous system and we’ve come to learn that depression and anxiety may have more to do with what is going on in your gut than you ever thought possible. Our guts have billions of microorganisms, also known as gut flora. When these microorganisms are out of whack it can directly affect our moods. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “the enteric nervous system may trigger big emotional shifts experienced by people coping with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional bowel problems such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating, pain and stomach upset.” Our gut may be the cause of anxiety and depression instead of anxiety and depression impacting the gut.

When the imbalance of microorganisms colonizes our guts, the gut sends signals to our brains and triggers mood changes. These mood changes have shown evidence of creating flare-ups in people with IBS and other gastrointestinal diseases, it becomes a neverending cycle. Without a healthy gut, we risk both mental and physical issues down the line!

Not only does this affect us personally, but it can also affect our work and our relationships. 

When we’re unhappy, we can’t focus on the things that are important to us. We are less likely to focus on things that truly matter when our emotions are out of whack. We also can’t put our all into our relationships with friends or significant others, or even our families if we aren’t happy ourselves.