Stress-Gut Connection

Aug 6, 2025

The stress-gut connection is a fascinating and well-documented relationship between your brain and digestive system. This connection is often referred to as the gut-brain axis, and it’s a two-way communication system involving neural, hormonal, and immune pathways.

Here’s a breakdown of how stress affects your gut (and vice versa):

🧠 How Stress Affects the Gut

  1. Changes in Gut Motility
    Stress can speed up or slow down how quickly food moves through your digestive tract, leading to diarrhea or constipation.

  2. Altered Gut Microbiome
    Chronic stress can reduce the diversity and balance of your gut bacteria, which can affect digestion, mood, and immune function.

  3. Increased Gut Permeability (“Leaky Gut”)
    Stress can weaken the intestinal lining, allowing bacteria and toxins to pass into the bloodstream, potentially triggering inflammation and autoimmune issues.

  4. Worsening of GI Conditions
    Conditions like IBS, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease often flare during times of high stress.

  5. Changes in Digestive Secretions
    Stress may reduce digestive enzymes and acid production, leading to bloating, indigestion, and poor nutrient absorption.

💭 How the Gut Affects the Brain

  1. Gut Microbiota & Mood
    Your gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters like serotonin (about 90% of serotonin is made in the gut). Imbalances here are linked to anxiety and depression.

  2. Inflammation & Mental Health
    An unhealthy gut can trigger low-grade inflammation that affects brain function and mood regulation.

  3. Vagus Nerve Communication
    The vagus nerve is a major conduit between the gut and brain. If the gut is inflamed or imbalanced, the brain “feels” it—this can increase feelings of anxiety or fatigue.

🔄 The Vicious Cycle

Stress affects the gut → gut problems affect mood → worse mood increases stress → more gut issues. This cycle can become chronic if not addressed.

🌿 What You Can Do

  • Manage stress: mindfulness, therapy, exercise, breathing techniques

  • Support your gut: probiotics, prebiotics, fiber-rich diet, avoid processed foods

  • Sleep well: restorative sleep is key for both gut and mental health

  • Stay hydrated: water is essential for digestion and stress hormone balance

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Hello and Welcome! My name is Carla Alpert, and I’m a Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach and Diagnostic Practitioner, focusing on the gut and how it affects your overall health. Think of me as a health detective and wellness coach working in partnership with you to restore your health. We work together to uncover the contributing factors to your chronic symptoms, to eat well, sleep well, move more and stress less.

I love the GI MAP test because it helps my clients and I discover gut dysfunction that may be contributing to daily digestive issues as well as other chronic symptoms like anxiety, fatigue and brain fog. I created this GI MAP Coaching Package to help you stop struggling with your health and get back to living your best life.

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