digestive problems

understanding the brain-gut connection

You might of heard of terms such as ‘gut feelings’ or ‘gut instinct’ before and how they can refer to situations in your life that you have responded in a way that has emerged from an instinctive knowing. These feelings often guide you in a positive direction without needing to know facts and figures- you just know….

These sayings are more closer to than the truth than you may think, because your brain and gut are connected and do communicate with each other. They do this by the very important vagal nerve (which means wandering). The vagal nerve is part of your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is also known as the ‘rest and digest’ of the autonomic nervous system. The opposite to this nervous system is the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which is known as ‘fight or flight’.

Your vagal nerve begins from your brain stem and wanders through your heart, spleen, liver and down to your digestive system where it meets the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS is another network of neurons that resides in your gut and is often referred to as the 2nd brain in many research articles.

Simply put the vagal nerve acts as a high way between the brain and the gut and mostly sends messages from the gut TO the brain (80%) and some communication from the brain to the gut (20%). Because the vagal nerve is part of the PNS, it is activated when you are calm, breathing steadily and your heart rate is not raised.

There has been significant research to demonstrate that when you have an imbalance of bacteria in your gut (good or bad), this then can increase inflammation and sends inflammatory messages up to the brain. Long term inflammation to the brain can cause ‘inflamed brain’, also known as depression.

You might know someone that has digestive issues and also suffers from low mood. Don’t get me wrong, any unwanted digestive problems can influence someone’s quality of life negatively and can cause low mood. But there has been significant research investigating people’s gut microbiome and its relation to depression, and the results have shown that there are low numbers of beneficial bacteria and high numbers of pro-inflammatory bacteria and people that suffer from depression.

The term ‘misery guts’ is often referred to people that are experiencing low mood.

What is the solution?

To improve your brain gut connection you need to first identify the cause of your symptoms. This can be achieved by taking a full health history, noting symptoms that you are currently experiencing, what improves and worsens your symptoms and what if you have had any diagnostic testing in the past to establish a diagnosis or eliminate a health condition.

There could be many factors involved that could be causing inflammation and an inflammatory response, but it’s imperative to include lifestyle factors for a holistic approach. Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and will decrease digestion and give rise to inflammation and supress your immune system. By activating your parasympathetic nervous system you are also supporting your vagal nerve too.

Vagal nerve stimulation

Non invasive:

  • gargling

  • singing, chanting, humming

  • slow breathing

  • meditation

  • yoga, tai chi, Qi gong

  • dancing

  • intermittent fasting

  • safe environment

  • acupuncture

  • positive thinking

  • improve gut health

  • mindful eating

  • positive social interactions & connections

  • slow down

  • vagal nerve stimulation device

  • hydrotherapy, cold water

  • heart health

Invasive:

  • vagal nerve implant

  • enema

symptoms of an unhappy digestive system

  • Bloating

  • Stomach pain

  • Constipation

  • Bloating

  • Diarrhoea

  • Food intolerances

  • Reflux

  • Low immunity (constantly getting sick- ‘gastro’)

  • SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)

  • IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

  • Correlating mental health issues (anxiety, depression)

Hypnotherapy is an evidence based approach for treating gut disorders. Studies have shown that hypnotherapy gave the same results as another group that followed a Low FODMAP diet for IBS. Naturopathy allows you to explore the cause of your symptoms and possible triggers, while making adjustments that suit YOUR needs. Using BOTH of these modalities together offer a perfect combination for treatment.

in order to ‘gutwell’ the whole person needs to be considered to improve your brain-gut connection.

mind - meditation, good mood food & living life to your values will give you a positive mindset

movement - using yoga as therapy or do what brings you joy for physical & mental benefits

microbiome - support gut health, reduce inflammation & eat food that benefits your good gut bacteria