Fear, anger, anxiety, and sadness impact our stomach and intestines and can slow down or speed up digestion. Not digesting your food properly can lead to more gas, bloating, acid reflux, and even nutritional deficiencies. The relaxation response helps turn optimal digestion on. It also helps the thinking centers of the brain come online so you can make wiser, better, and more conscious food choices.
To activate this rest-and-digest response simply dedicate minutes to intentional belly breathing before mealtimes. Know all about the signs, risk factors and more. Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community.
Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil. Every feeling that we go through has a connection to our gut health, it may seem so convenient to blame your mood swings on your emotional health or blame your stomach for all your digestive issues, but you will be amazed to know that both the things are so intermingled that it has been a matter of debate for years to decide what influences your emotions- your mental health or your gut health?
Read on to find out! Experts believe that our gut is our second brain, which is scientifically known as the Enteric Nervous system ENS. The ENS is further divided into two layers that have more than a million nerve cells lining starting from the esophagus to the gastrointestinal tract to the rectum, which governs the vital decisions related to the proper functioning of the body.
Apart from that, the presence of millions of bacteria in the gut flora can also affect our digestion as well as our overall health. These gut bacteria are also known as microbiota that can impact our physical as well as emotional well being.
According to a new study, it has been observed that the gut microbiota affect your emotional well-being and emotional responses. It was also found that these gut microbiota influences emotions and the bacterial composition may have an impact on the behaviour and responses. The ENS system manges your responses and body functions like controlling digestion, releasing enzymes to controlling digestion.
Moreover, the ENS system can trigger shifts in mood and behaviour. The impact of this gut-brain connection can easily trigger emotional shifts in people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome IBS and functional bowel problems such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating and stomach upset. According to Jay Pasricha, M. Interestingly, it was believed that mood shift, anxiety and depression affected the digestive system, but recent research shows that your gut health and digestion issues send signals to your central nervous system that can trigger mood changes and influence your emotions.
Foods that are rich in lactobacillus, a type of healthy bacteria can help in improving your digestive issues by accelerating the process of fermentation breaking up of food molecules. According to experts, people who consume probiotic foods like yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, kimchi have very less Enterobacteriaceae, which is a type of bacteria that leads to digestive ailments and causes bloating, discomfort and upset stomach. Eating fiber rich cereals, fruits and vegetables can reduce the presence of bad bacteria in the gut.
Eating a good amount of fiber often develops another healthy bacteria known as Bifidobacteria, which is great for gut health. In fact, studies have shown that adding ample fiber to the daily diet can improve metabolism and immunity in the long run. Artificial sweeteners may help in weight loss, but you will be shocked to know that these sweeteners can mess up your insulin levels and can affect your sugar level, which in the long run affect your gut microbiota. Whole grains are rich in beta glucans that help in reducing the cholesterol level as well as help in improving the digestive system.
Whole grains are rich in non-digestible carbs that accelerate the growth of good bacteria in the gut microbiota. This further improves gut health and improves metabolic rate too. In fact, more neurons reside in the gut then in the entire spinal cord, according to research published in the book Neuroscience.
The gut is controlled in part by the central nervous system in the brain and spinal cord. In addition, it has its own network of neurons in the lining of the gastrointestinal system, known as the enteric or intrinsic nervous system. In fact, the system of nerves in your gut is so influential that some researchers consider the gut a second brain, as noted in an article published in Scientific American. The enteric nervous system, along with its million nerve cells that line your gastrointestinal tract from your esophagus to your rectum, regulates digestive processes like:.
Stress causes physiological changes, like a heightened state of awareness, faster breathing and heart rates, elevated blood pressure , a rise in blood cholesterol , and an increase in muscle tension. When stress activates the flight-or-flight response in your central nervous system, Dr. Koch says that it can affect your digestive system by:. In more serious cases, stress may cause a decrease in blood flow and oxygen to the stomach, which could lead to cramping, inflammation, or an imbalance of gut bacteria.
It can also exacerbate gastrointestinal disorders, including:. There are both psychological and physical ways to manage stress. But the same stress relieving technique might not work for everyone. Here are six options you can try:.
Physical activity relieves tension and stimulates the release of chemicals in your brain called endorphins , which act as natural painkillers. Endorphins improve sleep, which can help relieve stress , according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. A study published in in the journal Cognitive Behavioural Therapy examined the relationship between aerobic exercise and attentional focus during exercise on 33 patients with post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD and found that 89 percent of patients reported improvements in PTSD and anxiety sensitivity.
0コメント