Life can feel like a juggling act. Between work deadlines, family commitments, and personal goals, your to-do list seems endless. Then one day, your digestion acts up. Coincidence? Probably not.
Stress isn't just a mental burden; it’s a full-body response to triggers like fear, poor diet, or lack of sleep [1]. It throws off your body’s internal balance, or homeostasis, and can even upset the delicate ecosystem of your gut microbiome [2].
Your gut, brain, and immune system communicate via the gut-brain axis, a superhighway that stress can throw into disarray [3]. When gut bacteria become imbalanced, it doesn’t just impact digestion. It shapes how your body handles stress and contributes to its lasting effects [4],[5].
Curious how to break the cycle? Read on to explore the fascinating connection between stress and gut health. We’ll cover practical tips to reduce stress and boost your overall wellness.
How does stress alter your gut microbiome?
Your gut is home to trillions of microbes, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi which interact with each other and the body [2]. A healthy gut microbiome helps maintain your overall health, supporting processes like:
- Immune function
- Inflammation regulation
- Neurotransmitter production: These are the body’s chemical messengers that carry signals between nerve cells, muscles, and organs [6].
However, stress can disrupt the balance and activity of your gut microbiome, leading to various health issues [7].
How stress disrupts gut function
Stress doesn’t just affect your mind—it can also affect various functions of the gut. For instance, stress can affect:
- Digestive enzyme secretion
- Bowel movements
- The health of your gut lining [3], [8].
Stress can also disrupt the gut-brain axis, contributing to various digestive problems. When you're stressed, your body releases chemicals called catecholamines, or stress hormones. These chemicals can alter the growth and movement of beneficial and unfriendly gut bacteria [9].
As a result, stress may lead to gut-associated disorders such as:
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): a condition in which stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms [3], [10].
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Chronic stress and genetics are key risk factors for IBS [3], with symptoms like diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and bloating [11].
How stress fuels unhealthy cycles
Stress-related conditions such as anxiety and depression tend to make each other worse [5], [9]. Together, they may weaken the gut’s protective barrier, resulting in “leaky gut” where unfriendly bacteria may enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation [5].
Interestingly, research shows that people with depression have gut microbiomes that differ from those of healthy individuals [5].
Have you ever noticed a craving for junk food when you’re stressed? Even mild stress may drive you to eat more high-fat, high-sugar foods [5]. These food choices can reduce gut microbiome diversity and increase gut leakiness, which may lead to inflammation and disease [5].
The long-term effects of stress on the microbiome
Prolonged stress can have lasting effects on the microbiome. In a study of frontline healthcare workers, stress reduced gut bacteria diversity and caused imbalances for up to six months [7]. Specific findings included:
- Reduced beneficial Lachnospiraceae and Roseburia species: These bacteria produce butyrate, a compound that supports a healthy gut lining [2].
- High levels of Bacteroides eggerthii: This bacteria disrupts the growth of beneficial bacteria.
- Low levels of beneficial [Eubacterium] hallii species: This bacteria is known for its anti-inflammatory effects and potential to help reduce anxiety.
Long-term gut imbalances may disrupt the gut-brain connection, with the potential to affect brain health and mental well-being. Scientists continue to explore how these changes may contribute to mental health disorders [12], but the connection is not fully understood.
Stress and pregnancy: implications for mother and baby
Pregnancy is exciting and often overwhelming, and stress during this time doesn’t just affect how mom feels—it can also influence baby’s health. Stress can alter the composition of a mother’s gut and vaginal microbiome, which play a crucial role in the baby’s microbiome [13].
One study found that high prenatal stress was linked to higher levels of unfriendly bacteria such as Escherichia, Serratia, and Enterobacter in vaginally-born babies. These imbalances may increase a baby’s risk of gastrointestinal issues and allergic conditions later in life [14].
How different types of stress affect your gut and overall health
Stress can take many forms, and each type impacts the gut and overall health in unique ways. Let’s explore different types of stress and their impacts:
Psychological stress
Sometimes, life’s demands overwhelm our ability to cope. This is psychological stress, and it can affect our emotions, behavior, and physical health [15]. Key impacts include:
- Weakened immune system: A meta-analysis suggested that psychological stress may impair immune function and contribute to health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and asthma [15], [16].
- Cycles of depression: Long-term stress may contribute to depression, while depression can make stress responses worse [17].
- Unhealthy eating habits: Depression often leads to unhealthy eating patterns, which disrupt gut bacteria, creating a vicious cycle of poor eating and gut imbalances [5].
Chronic stress
Chronic stress is stress that lasts for a long time. It may reduce your physical and cognitive performance [15]. Chronic stress is also linked to changes in the gut microbiome. A study of medical students facing exam stress over six months found significant gut imbalances, including:
- A decrease in beneficial Bifidobacterium
- An increase in unfriendly Streptococcus species [18].
Stress due to lack of sleep
Lack of sleep can also cause stress and disrupt your body’s natural processes, like wakefulness and other bodily functions [19]. A cross-sectional study reported that irregular eating patterns were associated with a higher incidence of sleep problems and poor health status [19].
Less than 7 hours of sleep per night raises cortisol levels, triggers stress, and can change gut bacteria composition, impacting overall health. But consistent sleep and healthy eating habits support your gut and general well-being [2], [19].
Physical stress
Exercise affects gut health depending on its intensity:
- Moderate exercise: Activities like running, rowing, and treadmill workouts increase blood flow and may help prevent gut issues [20].
- Intense, prolonged exercise: Strenuous exercise can actually trigger a stress response. This may alter gut microbiome composition and increase gut permeability [20]. So be sure to give your gut extra support if you engage in these types of exercise.
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT): Short-term HIIT workouts generally do not cause significant changes to the gut microbiome [21].
The gut microbiome’s effect on stress response
So far we’ve covered how stress affects your gut health, but how does your gut health affect your stress levels? Evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between stress, mood, diet, and the gut microbiome [5]. This means that as stress alters the gut microbiome, the gut microbiome, too, may affect the stress response [3],[9].
Evidence suggests low gut diversity is linked to depression and anxiety. People with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder had an imbalance in their ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes [22]. The higher ratio of these bacteria is linked to better mental health.
By-products of the microbiome also control the stress response [9]. For example, the level of the bile acids balanced by the microbiome are related to the severity of depression symptoms. Lower production of bile acids is associated with severe depression symptoms [23].
This two-way relationship between stress and gut health means that you may be able to support your mental health and resiliency to stress by supporting your microbiome. When people with depression were given the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve, their depressive symptoms and gastrointestinal disorders were reduced [24].
Simple ways to manage stress
Since stressors are often unavoidable, learning to cope with them effectively is key to supporting your overall well-being. Below are some tips for coping with your stress.
Eat a healthy diet
Your diet is one of the main factors that contribute to your gut balance. Here are some dietary tips to help keep your gut healthy:
- Choose plant protein, healthy fats, and fiber over animal protein, saturated fats, and added sugars [5].
- Focus on including a high-fiber diet, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes [25].
- Test your gut microbiome to determine if certain probiotic strains would be beneficial to support your gut balance.
Exercise to boost your endorphins
Though stress can make it harder to stay active, exercise helps release endorphins, a chemical that helps reduce stress and improve well-being. Your endorphins regulate your stress response and also promote brain cell growth [25]. Moderate aerobic exercises such as biking, swimming, and running can boost energy and improve mood, helping to counteract stress [26].
Sleep helps you reduce stress
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Here are tips for better sleep [27]:
- Be physically active during the day
- Limit caffeine
- Reduce exposure to bright lights before bed.
Your body will thank you!
Socializing for stress relief
Studies suggest that when stressed, humans are more likely to seek social connections, which are crucial for mental and emotional well-being. Talk to your friends and loved ones when you are feeling stressed! Their emotional support can help you manage the stressors better and help your brain and body recover [27].
Manage your stress to improve your gut health
Your gut health is more than just digestion – it's a critical component of your overall mental and physical well-being. As stress can lead to microbiome imbalances, managing stress through a healthy diet, regular exercise, and good sleep helps you maintain a balanced gut and improve overall well-being. On the flip side, caring for your gut health can help support your stress response, so you are more resilient in the face of challenges that life throws your way.
If you’re experiencing ongoing stress and are ready to take action, our Adult Gut Health Test can identify gut imbalances and provide personalized diet and supplement recommendations. We’re here to support you on your journey to better wellness!
