What is the Gut-Brain Axis?
Simply put, the Gut-Brain Axis is the communication pathway between the gut microbiota and the nervous system.
Key players in this axis:
the enteric nervous system (the nervous system in the gut)
the gut microbiome (the range of microorganisms found within the gut)
and the Vagus nerve, which is the link between the enteric nervous system and the brain
Making sure this axis is functioning properly is critical because it influences things like hunger and satiety, mood and emotions, and the health of the digestive, cognitive, and immune systems.
A few examples of conditions related to Gut-Brain Axis imbalance are IBS, skin issues, anxiety, depression, migraine, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease.
How does the Gut-Brain Axis affect the health and function of our bodies?
A key point to grasp is that 70-80% of our immune system cells reside in our digestive tract. The gut microbiota —which includes bacteria, viruses, yeast, and other microorganisms—produces active metabolites, called short-chain fatty acids, that influence immune system function. They also travel through the bloodstream sending signals to the brain and other organs about what you’ve ingested and the current health status of your gut.
Here are a few more specific examples of what our healthy microbiota is doing:
Deterring pathogenic microbes from taking up residence or overgrowing in your gut
Helping with detoxification in your gut
Controlling the rate of colon cell turnover, which is critical for preventing mutations that can lead to colon cancer
Educating the immune system about what is self and what is an intruder
Preventing leaky gut, which itself increases risk of myriad health conditions including autoimmune diseases
Influencing your response to stress and mood through communication with your brain’s emotion centers
That’s a lot, and we are still in the early stages of understanding all of the targets and effects of these microbial metabolites.
What we do know is that most Gut-Brain Axis imbalances begin in the gut!
What factors lead to this gut microbiota imbalance?
Our modern lifestyle can contribute in multiple ways:
Chronic stress
Sedentary lifestyle
Poor sleep
Antibiotic use
Smoking and alcohol use
Other toxin exposure
Oral bacteria imbalance
Processed food consumption
Low whole food intake
Insufficient plants in the diet
Inadequate essential fats
Low nutrient levels such as vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium
If you’re wondering whether you have a Gut-Brain Axis imbalance, I've created a checklist that lists several common signs. Grab your free Gut–Brain Axis Symptoms Checklist here.
A functional medicine approach to restoring Gut-Brain Axis balance (Functional Medicine 5R Protocol for gut repair) often involves changes to diet, gut repair, working together to implement an individualized exercise or movement plan, improving sleep, and, importantly, stress reduction.
What exactly is the Functional Medicine 5R Protocol for gut repair?
Essentially, what this means is that we:
Remove factors that are negatively impacting the gut: like allergens, toxins, and pathogens
Replace missing factors that are essential for digestion and absorption of nutrients
Reinoculate with beneficial bacteria and the prebiotics that feed them
Repair leaky gut using nutrients that support the intestinal lining
Rebalance body systems with lifestyle modifications that help to manage stress, optimize diet and sleep, and incorporate regular physical activity
For Gut-Brain Axis imbalance, we emphasize the Repair and Rebalance components of this protocol. Healing a leaky gut is essential for fixing microbial imbalances because these problems tend to affect each other in a cyclical fashion. Similarly, the Rebalancing step is critical because microbial imbalances affect the emotional centers of the brain and vice versa.
Consider these influences of STRESS on the gut:
Can alter the motility of your gut, resulting in constipation or diarrhea
Can enhance your perception of digestive processes, increasing pain sensation
Alters important GI secretions, critical for proper digestion
Increases risk of leaky gut
Reduces needed blood flow to the digestive tract
Alters the makeup of the microbiota, usually favoring pathogenic species
These effects are in part mediated by another important pathway in the gut-brain axis thoroughfare: the Vagus nerve. This cranial nerve is the longest nerve in the body, connecting the brainstem to the gut. It is part of the parasympathetic nervous system—think ‘rest and digest.’ Research has shown that the Vagus nerve plays a crucial role in reducing stress and it mediates the calming and anti-inflammatory effects of relaxation practices.
And so you can see why things like scheduling in daily time for relaxation and implementing regular practices such as meditation, yoga, biofeedback, and breathwork might be very helpful for rebalancing the Gut-Brain Axis.
What are the gut treatment options?
From the gut side of the equation, treatment needs to be individualized based on symptoms and stool testing insights. A whole-food diet, mindful eating practices, and repleting nutrient deficiencies are often the places where we start, but individualized plans are crucial because we all have different genetic predispositions, sensitivities, environmental exposures, and life situations that demand a tailored approach for ultimate resolution.
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What are you struggling with in the Gut-Brain Axis arena? Add a comment below or sign up for a free call so that we can discuss this further. I’d love to hear from you!
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