It happens to the best of us. Sometimes our nerves get so worked up that we get the familiar “butterflies” in our stomach. This sensation is common enough that most people realize those butterflies are a result of your brain and gut communicating with each other. When emotions are high, our bodies feel it and react accordingly.
In fact, studies show that the balance of microflora in our guts is part of a connection between the gut and brain suggesting that a disruption of one affects the other. This gut-brain relationship also includes the immune, endocrine and metabolic systems. When one system is out of balance others are likely to be affected. Stress related changes to the gut flora are associated with changes to gut barrier, motility and the immune system.
So what does a gut-brain connection all this mean?
It means that any imbalances we have in our gut, brain and immune/endocrine/metabolic systems have a direct impact on our stress response and behavior. We are literally making ourselves sick! The good news is that there is a way to prevent this from happening.
One prevention step is to maintain a balance in the gut microbiome. This may be one of your greatest stress management tools. To do this, a healthy vegetable based diet and active lifestyle are key. You may want to also consider probiotics, prebiotics and other gut health products such as IgY Max [https://igynutrition.com]. IgY Max provides antibodies against 26 pathogens threatening human health without triggering the human complement immune system. By supporting a proper immune response and promoting improved gut integrity, IgY Max has been shown to increase the occurrence of beneficial bacteria in the gut while reducing non-specific inflammation for improved digestive function, improved immune function and enhanced quality of life. Who wouldn’t want that?
Take steps today to improve your gut health, manage stress levels and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Visit IgY Nutrition for more information![https://igynutrition.com] Including gut health in your stress management techniques makes sense.
References
Lerner A, Neidhöfer S, Matthias T. The Gut Microbiome Feelings of the Brain: A Perspective
for Non-Microbiologists. Microorganisms. 2017 Oct 12;5(4). pii: E66. doi:
10.3390/microorganisms5040066.
El Aidy S, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. Gut Microbiota: The Conductor in the Orchestra of Immune-
Neuroendocrine Communication. Clin Ther. 2015; 37(5): 954-67.
Tetel MJ, de Vries GJ, Melcangi RC, Panzica G, O'Mahony SM. Steroids, Stress, and the Gut
Microbiome-Brain Axis. J Neuroendocrinol. 2017 Oct 12. doi: 10.1111/jne.12548. [Epub ahead
of print]