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Gut Feelings Are Real: How Gut Health Affects Our Mood

Author:

Jessica Timmons

January 06, 2021

By Jessica Timmons

mbg Contributor

Jessica Timmons is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Healthline, Pregnancy & Newborn, Modern Parents Messy Kids, and more.

Image by Sergey Filimonov / Stocksy

January 06, 2021

If [gut] microbes are controlling the brain, then microbes are controlling everything.
John Cryan, PhD APC Microbiome Institute

It's finally 2021, but stress remains a constant companion. Because stress can trigger gut health issues and gut problems affect mood, many of us are navigating a cycle of anxiety and serious digestive discomfort, including constipation, diarrhea, bloating, cramping, and abdominal pain.

These physical effects are one thing, but did you know that even very subtle changes in our gut can affect our emotional well-being? Because stress and the gut are so closely linked, you'll benefit from learning more about this bidirectional relationship—and the best ways to manage it.

The gut-brain axis: an elaborate communications network.

Ever had that telltale tingling sensation of butterflies in your stomach? That's the gut-brain connection, i.e., the gut-brain axis, at work. There are hundreds of millions of neurons in the gut that communicate with the brain both directly and indirectly. It's a complex two-way system involving hormones, the immune system, and the nervous system, which includes the intestines, spinal cord, brain, and the longest nerve in the body: the vagus. This is why the gut is sometimes referred to as your second brain.

Changes in your gut can cause intestinal leakage (more commonly known as "leaky gut"), as well as cause diarrhea, constipation, inflammation, and a drop in the neurotransmitters that support a positive mood. All of these factors can affect mental health in the form of depression, brain fog, and, you guessed it: stress. The stressed brain then reacts in ways that contribute to distressing gastrointestinal symptoms. It's a vicious cycle.

But there is a simple way to help manage it.

Shop Omni-Biotic:

Omni-Biotic® Stress Release

Balancing your gut: the value of a high-performance probiotic.

Interrupting the cycle of gut-brain dysfunction often calls for a multilevel approach that includes an anti-inflammatory diet, exercise, meditation, and the addition of key gut-supporting nutrients and indication-targeted probiotics.

Image by Omni-Biotic

It's crucial to find the right probiotic for the job, and one brand we discovered has a unique approach to product development and a keen focus on selecting significant strains that work synergistically in the body—resulting in a probiotic that is game-changing when it comes to the stress relief.

Technically defined as a psychobiotic, Omni-Biotic® Stress Release is made with nine scientifically tested probiotic strains that were chosen for their proven ability to offer safe, effective gut-brain axis support and promote resilience during times of stress. Published clinical trials confirm the efficacy of the Stress Release formulation, with impressive findings including:

Improved emotional balance 1
Improved mood, memory, and cognition 1
Improved attention, perception, and decision making 2
Improved intestinal comfort and function 3

Human studies exploring the interactions between the gut microbiome and the brain are still relatively scarce, which makes these findings all the more compelling. Strong positive outcomes that have been proven through demanding clinical trials elevate Omni-Biotic credibility beyond most probiotic brands on the market today. Reassuring, right?

The takeaway.

As ongoing research continues to clarify the relationship between gut health and stress, the value of a quality probiotic speaks for itself. But Omni-Biotic Stress Release offers more than just quality. It was designed to provide reliable psychobiotic stress management by directly supporting the gut-brain axis—and the evidence shows it does just that. And coming off a year like 2020, when stress remains at an all-time high, we could all use that kind of support.