by The Puritan's Pride Editorial Team
Stress impacts everyone, but chronic stress can affect more than your mood. It can disrupt many aspects of the body, including digestion and gut health.
Our digestive systems are closely linked to our overall well-being, and stress can throw that delicate balance off track.
Here’s what can happen when we don’t keep stress in check–and what you can do to help.
When stress activates the body’s “fight or flight” mode, it prioritizes energy for essential survival functions and diverts it away from digestion. This can slow digestive processes and lead to common feelings of discomfort like bloating, irregular bowel movements, or an upset stomach. Over time, persistent stress can lead to more consistent digestive issues that may disrupt daily life.
During periods of high stress, the gut may become more sensitive. This can cause mild digestive issues to feel more uncomfortable than they normally would. This heightened sensitivity can lead to feelings of fullness, cramping, or abdominal discomfort, even without significant dietary changes.
Stress can influence behavior patterns, particularly around food choices. Some people may turn to emotional eating, choosing high-sugar, high-fat comfort foods that can further upset digestion. Others might skip meals altogether, depriving the body of essential nutrients and disrupting gut health. These stress-driven habits can create a cycle of poor digestion, discomfort and other health issues.
Stress can either speed up or slow down gut motility, which is a term that refers to the natural contractions and relaxations of the muscles in the gastrointestinal tract that move food through the body. When motility is compromised, it can cause occasional digestive disruptions such as constipation or diarrhea. This irregular movement can disrupt normal digestion and nutrient absorption, leading to further digestive discomfort.
Chronic stress can disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. This imbalance may affect digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall health, making the body more susceptible to digestive discomfort. Over time, these disruptions may cause issues with immune health.
Gut health is essential at every age, but older adults may experience more challenges when stress impacts the gut. As the body changes with age, the balance of gut bacteria can shift, which may affect digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall comfort. An unbalanced gut environment may lead to digestive issues like irregularity or discomfort.
Older adults can help support their gut health by
Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria that help support the body’s digestive system.* They work to maintain a balanced gut, which plays a role in digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall wellness.*
>>3 Surprising Benefits of Taking Probiotics
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization both define probiotics as “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” (1).
By introducing friendly bacteria to the gut, probiotics can help:
Keeping your gut balanced is helpful during times of stress. A microbiome in balance supports the body’s natural ability to maintain digestive comfort and overall wellness.
You can also consume probiotics in food by eating kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, kombucha, and many yogurt products.
>>Explore probiotics at Puritan’s Pride
One supplement that may help is Probiotic 10 from Puritan’s Pride, which is designed to support digestive balance.*
Each easy-to-swallow, one-capsule-per-day serving delivers:
Probiotic 10 is a convenient choice for supporting your digestive health daily.*
Tip: Heat, light, moisture levels, and air exposure can make probiotics weaken, so they aren’t active anymore. Store your probiotic supplement in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to maintain its potency. Always ask your healthcare practitioner before starting a new supplement.
Sources:
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3859987/
| *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. |
