It's Mental Health Awareness Month. But the conversation keeps skipping something important: your gut.
Every May, the discussion turns to mental health. And rightly so. But there's a piece of the puzzle that keeps getting left out of the conversation, one that researchers have been quietly building evidence around for years: your gut.
Not in a vague "eat well, feel better" way. In a very literal, anatomical, your-gut-has-its-own-nervous-system way.
Research by Cryan and Dinan, published in Physiological Reviews, suggests there may be a direct, two-way communication line between your gut and your brain. It's called the gut-brain axis, and what happens in one may influence the other in ways we're only beginning to understand. If you've ever felt anxiety in your stomach, or noticed that stress seems to hit your digestion first, there's a reason for that.
What the Gut-Brain Axis Actually Is
Your gut contains an estimated 500 million neurons, a network of nerve cells so extensive that scientists sometimes refer to it as the "second brain." It's connected to the brain via the vagus nerve, one of the longest nerves in the body, running from the brainstem all the way to the abdomen.
Research by Bonaz and colleagues, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience (2018), suggests that up to 90% of the signals travelling along this nerve go upwards, from gut to brain, rather than the other way around. What this appears to mean is that your gut may be sending your brain a constant stream of information, and that information could influence mood, cognition, and even stress response.
Scientists are also studying the role of gut bacteria in this conversation. Certain strains of bacteria appear to produce or influence the production of neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Emerging evidence, including work cited in Cryan and Dinan's Physiological Reviews research, suggests the gut may be involved in producing a significant proportion of the body's serotonin, the neurotransmitter most commonly associated with mood regulation, though researchers are still working to understand exactly what this means for mental health.
Could Anxiety Be a Gut Signal?
The relationship between gut health and anxiety is an area of active research. A 2014 review by Kennedy and colleagues in the World Journal of Gastroenterology indicates that people with IBS appear to experience higher rates of anxiety and depression, though researchers are still working to understand the direction of that relationship. It may be that gut symptoms cause stress, that stress appears to influence gut function, or that both are responding to the same underlying factors.
What seems clear is that the relationship is not one-way. Cryan and Dinan's research suggests stress appears to influence gut motility (the speed at which food moves through your digestive system), gut permeability, and the composition of gut bacteria. And gut signals, in turn, may influence how your brain processes and responds to threat.
None of this means your anxiety "is" a gut problem. But it does suggest that your gut may be part of the picture in ways that are worth paying attention to.
What This Might Mean for You
If you've ever noticed that your digestive patterns shift during stressful periods, or that your anxiety tends to peak alongside gut discomfort, you might already be experiencing this two-way conversation firsthand.
One place to start is simply noticing. Tracking what your gut is doing, when symptoms tend to appear, what might be triggering them, whether patterns correlate with mood, sleep, or stress, may help you build a clearer picture of what's going on for you specifically.
Try out our gut wellness quiz to find out more about your gut.
Sources
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Gutsi is a wellness tracking device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. If you have concerns about your digestive health, please speak to a qualified healthcare professional.
