Stress Shown to Cause Decline in Gut Health

Although stress has seldom been recognized as a determining factor for the onset of disease, more and more research is lending proof as to why the disease-stress connection should really be accepted. Because of the prevalence of high stress levels in today’s world, it is important to recognize the impact stress has on your health. Disease can develop in numerous ways while under the influence of stress, and one such way is through the decline of gut health.

Stress Shown to Destroy Friendly Flora

Gut health is extremely important for mental clarity, improved happiness, and overall health. This vital organ system is extremely vulnerable to both chronic and acute stress, where gastric secretion, gut motility, and barrier function can all be negatively altered from the presence of stress. The impact can lead to a flood of negative health consequences, including irritable bowel syndrome and acid reflux.

The negative alterations to the gut don’t stop at the physiological function, however. Stress has also been shown to alter the composition of the microbiota — or the flora that resides within the gut, which could have to do with changes in neurotransmitter and inflammatory cytokin levels. Some research has shown that stress can lead to the development of bacterial overgrowths while at the same time shaving away microbial diversity in the large intestine. These changes open up a gateway for disease.

Since stress plays such a role in the proper function of gut health, the almighty killer is bringing down happiness levels from multiple angles since poor gut health has actually been shown to escalate depression risk. Research using mice shows that probiotics found in yogurt serve as a natural solution to depression. The study discovered that bacteria found in the gut was directly correlated with the brains of mice. Scientists believe that it is to be the same case with humans.

While poor gut health on its own paves way for a whole host of illness and disease, stress plays a much larger role in the grand scheme of most everything. Living with stress day in and day out will cause you to be inactive, unproductive, unhappy, and unfulfilled. Becoming unconsciously competent with the ability to de-stress the brain is an absolute must if you have desires to be happy — and everyone does. Enhance your health by overcoming stress and negative influences, and you will not only avoid the negative potentialities stemming from poor gut health, but live a longer and happier life.