Is our stress messing with our gut health, or is our gut health messing with our stress? There is a lot of emerging research looking into the connections between our mental well-being and our gut health. Let’s take a peek at what researchers are learning about this chicken-or-egg situation happening in our colon (and our brains).

What is the gut brain axis?

Many gut health researchers recognize something called the gut-brain axis, which is the connection between our guts and our brains. This connection is a complex set of interactions between the gut microbiota (all the living things in our gut) and the brain, with possible impacts on things like brain health and cognitive function.

This connection is relatively new to scientists, which has led to consistent studies coming out that help us to further understand the roles gut and diet play in our mental well-being.

When the bacteria in our gut ferments the fibers we eat, they produce something called short chain fatty acids. These short chain fatty acids are thought to play a role in communication and regulation with our nervous system.

However, the mechanisms of this connection and its ability to influence our brain’s physiology and behaviour have not been fully explained.

Stress may impact our gut

Managing our stress is an important aspect of supporting our gut health. It has been established that chronic stress can alter gut microbiota composition. Chronic stress can lead to dysbiosis, which is an imbalance between the types of organisms in our gut. There is ongoing research looking to uncover the ways that stress, diet and our gut microbiota may contribute to our mental health, specifically depressive and stress-induced disorders. 

Diets designed to support our gut may help reduce stress

Some exciting research has started to look at what foods we can consume to help support our gut and stress.

Study Goals

This study, ‘Feed your microbes to deal with stress’, set out to investigate the effects of a psychobiotic diet on microbial stability and perceived stress in a healthy adult population.

Method

A group of 45 healthy adults were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group was assigned to follow a “psychobiotic diet”, which was rich in foods known to influence the microbiota such as whole grains, prebiotic rich fruits and vegetables, and fermented foods.

The control group was not given a specific diet to follow, and focused mainly on consuming a generally healthful diet with education provided by a dietitian.

Results

They found that participants in the psychobiotic diet group experienced a reduction in perceived stress levels by 32%, compared to 17% in the control group.

What can I do to support my gut?

Even while scientists are working out the intricacies of our brain gut connection, managing your stress and incorporating a variety of fibre rich foods are known to benefit our health. Some ways to manage your stress include: 

• Meditation
• Spending time in nature
• Engaging in community service
• Exercise 
• Creative hobbies

Words: Madeline Peck RDN CDN