Most of us have direct experience of how chronic or intense psychological stress can affect the digestive system. Ancient Chinese medicine practitioners also theorized that the intestine (particularly the liver) was the seat of emotions. Modern science explains this phenomenon by discovering that up to 90% of our neurotransmitters and hormones are produced in the intestine.
What happens to digestion when we are stressed
Something that many of us do not know, at least logically, is that the digestive system is in fact governed by the Central Nervous System, that is, a subbranch of the nervous system called the “parasympathetic nervous system”. In essence, the parasympathetic system is our “rest and digest” state. Only when we are relaxed and stress-free is the parasympathetic system activated and therefore digestion.
When we enter a state of stress, the counterpart of the parasympathetic system; the sympathetic system is activated. This state of stress or the “fight or flight” response halts digestion by reducing blood flow to the digestive organs, inhibits the secretion of digestive fluids, and instead sends blood and biological energy to the musculoskeletal system to prepare itself. for the battle.
When the sympathetic system is chronically stimulated by prolonged stress, it can lead to gastrointestinal upset, inflammation, and a weakened immune system.
An example of how stress can cause common digestive problems is causing spasms in the esophagus and disrupting stomach acid secretion. This causes heartburn, acid reflux, and can make you nauseated. Another example is the effects that stress has on the colon. Intense stress increases the secretion of the stress hormones cortisol, prolactin, and serotonin, which can cause the colon to become overactive or tense, leading to diarrhea or constipation.
When any of these conditions become persistent, the inflammation and general malfunction of the digestive system can eventually lead to stomach ulcers, IBS, and inflammatory bowel disease.
How to manage stress for better digestion
Reducing total stress is not a quick fix job, it requires a holistic and multifactorial approach. However, psychological stress is one of the main dominant stressors that negatively affect the digestive system. While it can take time to control the causes of psychological stress, there are some simple things you can do to mitigate its effects.
A simple way to de-stress is to do moderate and fun exercise. Physical exercise relieves tension, drives us crazy, improves mood by releasing endorphins, but also helps eliminate stress hormones. Some of the healthiest forms of exercise include walking, hiking, bicycling, swimming, dancing, yoga, Thai qi, and weight lifting.
Other great ways to reduce stress include:
Relaxation: People with digestive problems are often too stressed and don’t relax enough. Achieving deep, authentic relaxation is more challenging in today’s world, but can be achieved through yoga, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, cognitive therapy, biofeedback, good music, spending time in the nature, camping, making love, and working on an enjoyable project or hobby.
Communication therapy: a major source of psychological stress resides in the world of communication. In fact, most of life’s stress and problems have their roots in communication disorder. If you’ve ever been in a situation where you didn’t know what to say or someone wouldn’t talk to you, you know the stress associated with miscommunication. Taking courses or reading communication books can be of great help to improve our quality of life, our relationships, and reduce a great source of stress. However, just having a good friend or loved one with whom you can freely talk about your stress can be a great stress reliever. Personally, I have found cognitive therapy to be very helpful in relieving chronic stress in my life. There are even studies that have shown a 70 percent improvement in stress symptoms after 12 weeks of cognitive therapy.
Nutrition – A bad diet can ruin a good digestive system. Poor nutrition can be a source of biological stress, but eating the right foods can also help curb the effects of stress. In general, it’s helpful to eat more protein and salt when you’re stressed. In fact, soldiers in the military must eat a high-protein diet to mitigate the catabolic effects of combat. So it’s best to take a two-sided nutritional approach, where you avoid junk food that adds to your stress and eat healthy, nutrient-dense foods that help replenish a stressed-out body.
Pick your battles – One interesting thing about life is that problems seem to be worthwhile. If we didn’t have any problems, we would be existentially bored. So the goal is not to eliminate all problems and stress from our lives. Instead, we must choose our problems wisely. For example, starting a fulfilling new relationship will have its challenges, but in the end, the problems are usually worth it. The same goes for starting a new project or goal. A good rule of thumb is that any given condition in life would ideally be 80% pleasure with 20% pain, pain being the optimal amount of stress that makes us like it and helps us grow.
In conclusion
Mental and emotional stress can cause many problems for a healthy digestive system. Stress as a whole is unavoidable, it seems to be a natural part of the game of life. The important thing is how we react to our stress and our problems, and that in the end we prevent it from becoming chronic. If you know you are under too much stress and/or have symptoms of digestive stress, these tips will help. If the problem is stress management, there are cognitive therapists, yoga instructors, and medications that can provide verified help.