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A Stressed Gut

  • Writer: Rhea Lewandoski R.D.
    Rhea Lewandoski R.D.
  • Apr 29
  • 2 min read

Author: Rhea Lewandoski R.D.

Drawing of a woman

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is sensitive to emotion – “butterflies”; “gut-feeling”; Situations that make you feel nauseous etc. The brain and GI tract share information – thinking about food can create a release of stomach’s juices or a troubled intestine can let the brain know what is going on (the gut-brain axis).


This connection is positive – think fight or flight response, gut-feeling. We can often “feel” it before we logically know what is going on.

 

EMOTION, STRESS, AND ANXIETY AND IT’S IMPACT ON THE GI TRACT

Food provides nourishment for the body, but a consistently stressed-out gut can have a hard time utilizing this nourishment.


“Stress” – stress is stress to the body, this includes:

  • Physical and emotional

  • Environmental

  • Excessive exercise

  • ED behaviours


The Impact

  • Psychosocial factors influence the actual physiology of the gut – stress or other psychological factors can impact the movement and contractions of the GI tract.

  • Can make existing pain even worse ie. Stress can trigger someone’s IBS symptoms or worsen them.

  • Impact our microbiome (research is still pending on what this looks like exactly) but it may be due to hormone release from stress/anxiety, or the physiological impacts stress/anxiety can have on our digestive system.

  • Impact absorption of nutrients – inflammation of intestinal villi, movement and contractions of the GI tract. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies.

  • Impacts serotonin and other mood stabilizers.


What can we do?

  • Multiple studies have found that psychologically based approaches (therapy, distress tolerance, anxiety/stress response tools etc.) have a greater impact on improving digestive symptoms compared to only medical treatment.

  • Implement stress or anxiety alleviating tools at or before mealtime.

  • Fiber? – sometimes a good idea, sometimes it makes it worse depending on the individual. Fiber may not be helpful when we are trying to increase intake since it can make digestive symptoms worse. If we do add it, we go slow.

  • Probiotics? – sometimes a good idea, sometimes it makes it worse depending on the individual. Depends on – intake, digestive symptoms, type of probiotic.

  • Challenging the ED thoughts around GI symptoms and its connection to food – Curiosity about GI symptoms. Is the ED automatically blaming the food you eat? Do we need more context?

  • Separating fullness from GI symptoms. Sometimes fullness in ED recovery can feel uncomfortable and be mistaken for GI symptoms.

  • Explore GI symptoms further with clinicians throughout the recovery process.

 

Adapted from:

 

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