Ask Dr. Nick
On today’s episode, Dr. Nick talks about the damaging effects of stress on the gut. The gut (or gastrointestinal tract) is one of the main defense barriers for infections and toxins as these are in our foods. At the same time, gut health is essential for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients from food. Due to the Brain-Gut axis, stress, whether that is physiological, mental, or emotional, can be damaging to the gut. Stress leads to elevation of stress hormones and neurotransmitters along with pro-inflammatory cytokines from the immune system. This combination causes uncontrolled inflammation, disruptions of tight junctions in the gut lining, and dysbiosis. The resulting leaky gut is the start of chronic diseases due to bacteria and toxins entering the bloodstream and lack of proper nutrient absorption. Check out the video for more in depth information on how stress affects the gut and can lead to chronic disease!
Reference: Brzozowski B, Mazur-Bialy A, Pajdo R, et al. Mechanisms by which Stress Affects the Experimental and Clinical Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Role of Brain-Gut Axis. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2016;14(8):892-900.
