GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION: HOW EMOTIONS AFFECT YOUR DIGESTION
Have you ever had a 'gut-wrenching' experience or 'a knot in your stomach'? Perhaps you were lucky enough to 'feel butterflies in your belly'? It might not entirely be your heart that rules over your emotions like a passionate mastermind, but actually your gut! Because of the enteric nervous system sitting in your bowels, your gastrointestinal area is sensitive to your feelings. Anxiety, stress, anger, sadness, happiness, you name it – they all trigger the gut symptoms through neuronal connections managed by your psychobiotic bacteria. Hence, gut-brain microbiota interactions play a vital role in your health, mood, and behavior.
Your brain communicates directly with your stomach and intestines all the time. The easiest example to prove it? When you think about eating, not yet consuming your meal or a snack, the stomach's juices release before any food actually gets in there (it is pretty logical since the stomach has to get ready for the digestion process). And vice versa – an upset gut can send signals to the brain to alert it there is something wrong happening, mainly using neurotransmitters and vagus nerve. That second brain in our gut is a sophisticated neural network that transmits messages from trillions of bacteria and influences the one in the head.
Hence, if you have problems with your gut, it can be the reason OR the result of stress, anxiety, and depression you are going through. It is a two-way street. They can affect each other both positively or negatively, that's why it is essential to address the state of your mental health – not only the food you eat and the diet you follow. It has to go hand in hand - food with mind and mind with food.
Let's elaborate a bit more about the connection between the gut and emotions
I find this subject utterly fascinating. I am personally obsessed with it, so let me guide you through. It is pretty evident to everyone that each emotion corresponds to a different facial expression, right? In the end, it is not that difficult to spot someone who is sad or happy on the street, or someone who is really really upset (in such a case, it's better to give them some personal space!). Our brain processes this kind of information automatically in a split of a second. We can see their emotions bare and straight on their faces, nothing else to add. Nature has programmed us – and very wisely by doing so - to quickly and easily recognize different emotions so that we can choose our own appropriate reaction.
But what about the gut?
Our gut form a mirror image of the emotional expression of the face! Just like emotions are manifested in facial expressions, they are similarly reflected in other body areas, like the digestive tract. That happens because the nerve signals arise from a limbic system. Also known as the paleomammalian cortex, the limbic system is a set of brain structures supporting various functions, including emotion, behavior, motivation, and long-term memory. Our vast emotional life is, in fact, housed mainly inside it. When we talk about the digestive tract here, we will differentiate between the upper (let's say it is primarily the mouth - for your easier visualization ) and lower (mainly intestines ) parts of it. Remember that the pulses flowing between the upper and lower digestive tract can be either synchronized in the same direction or opposing one. I will explain it better using certain real-life emotions.
Unfortunately, I will use only negative emotions as examples because those are best studied so far. When we experience anxiety, stress or fear, a body's response is immediately triggered to maintain a state of homeostasis, the internal balance in the face of a threat. Hence, it is easier to observe and notice what is going on. Reactions to positive emotions are still more of an open book to explore in the future. However, those who are happy usually experience very few digestive issues.
HOW EMOTIONS AFFECT OUR DIGESTIVE TRACT?
Anger - the gastrointestinal (upper-down) contractions are synchronized: an increase in the intensity of contractions. Pressure goes UP. When you get angry, intense contractions begin to form in your stomach, which increases gastric acid and delays the digestion of eaten food. Simultaneously, the intestines are also stimulated; they start to spat out mucus and digestive juices. When upset, some people might feel like their negative emotions are practically accumulating in their mouth with a bitter taste.
Sadness - the gastrointestinal contractions are synchronized: a decrease in the intensity of contractions. Pressure goes DOWN. Hence, you lose appetite, you have no energy and willpower. It can go to such extremes that if you are heavily depressed, it is almost as if the intestines lose their mobility entirely.
Fear – the gastrointestinal contractions are the opposite, and you can feel an unpleasant 'knot in your stomach.' When we are faced with a stressful situation, thousands of signals are immediately flowing around the body to our cells and organs, modifying their action. The brain circuit sends an alert to the stomach and the intestines to eliminate all the unnecessary contents that could otherwise deplete us from the energy required for the urgent reaction. This is why you do need to go to the bathroom just before an important presentation, public-speaking event, or work interview. The cardiovascular system redirects oxygen-rich blood from the gut to the skeletal muscles, preparing us to fight or flight.
To be perfectly clear, emotions also affect other organs, not just the gut. For example, when you are stressed, your heart starts to beat faster and the muscles of your neck and shoulders tense. Then the opposite happens when you are relaxed and there is no tension whatsoever.
That gives us the evidence that the whole body is actively preparing and taking part in a coordinated response to each felt emotion, including our dear gut.
Are you willing to improve your mood through a gut healing protocol, delicious meal plans and mindset tools like hypnosis, Time Line Therapy and Emotional Freedom Technique? Hanna uses an all-encompassing approach to help you overcome anxiety and depressed mood without feeling overwhelmed and deprived. To book your appointment with her, click on the button below.
About the author: Hanna Hanula is a Certified Nutritionist, Naturopath and Mindset Coach specializing in Gut-Brain Connection. She helps women overcome anxiety and low-mood to feel comfortable in their bodies and experience more joy.