Stress impacts these gut microbes

This is what sympathetic dominance – fight, flight and freeze mode, or STRESS – does to influence specific beneficial gut microbes that support our health.

It can cause

• Low Bifidobacterium species

• Lower Lactobacillus species

• No growth of Enterococcus species

• Low beneficial bacteria

• Higher commensals (normal but not beneficial gut bacteria that can get out of control)

• The growth of harmful bacteria such as Clostridium and Escherichia coli

Other ways that stress influences the health of our gut include that it can

• ️Lower gut immunity (our gut is where 70-80% of our immune system resides)

• Lower SCFAs, a beneficial fat created by our gut microbes that supports our gut lining and immunity

• Increase intestinal permeability

Addressing our gut microbiota balance can benefit stress related adverse health outcomes through correcting. dysbiosis (gut microbiome imbalances) and pathogen infections, along with poor immunity and increased intestinal permeability.

Similarly, addressing the root cause of stress can improve gut health, and therefore our general health. I use Psych-K as an easy and safe way to do this along with meditation, movement and spending time in nature.

When we do both - address gut imbalances and the causes of stress - that's a winning combination.