Can Gut Problems Cause Brain Fog? 

You're feeling foggy. Your head is cloudy, and you can't seem to think straight. You might even feel a little dizzy. But what's causing it? Could it be your gut? Believe it or not, there is a strong connection between the gut and the brain, known as the gut-brain axis. This blog post will explore that connection and discuss how gut problems can cause brain fog. Stay tuned!

New research has shown that the brain and gut are more interconnected than we thought. These findings can improve gut health and help people with brain issues. These discoveries can help people with mood or brain issues by utilizing their gut.

Gut problems can cause all sorts of issues, including brain fog. When your gut isn't functioning properly, it can affect your brain in several ways. For example, gut problems can lead to inflammation, which can then cause damage to the brain. Additionally, when the gut isn't healthy, toxins and bacteria can enter the bloodstream. These toxins and bacteria can then travel to the brain and cause all sorts of issues.

Imagine eating differently could improve your moods and brain health. (It can.) You might also consider reducing stress to reduce symptoms in the gut. (It does.)

Your brain partly controls your gut

A gut disorder can lead to pain, bloating, or other discomfort. These disorders affect more than 35 percent of people at one time or another. They are more common in women than in men. These gut problems are often not easily diagnosed and treatable.

Our brains are responsible for some of our digestive processes. Research has shown that just thinking about food can trigger the stomach to produce juices in order to prepare for eating. The gut is also sensitive to emotions. Perhaps you can recall feeling anxious or nauseous, or experiencing "knots" and "butterflies" in your stomach.

Numerous studies have shown that stress is a common cause of gut problems. Harvard Health states that stress can cause or worsen symptoms such as gastrointestinal pain, nausea, vomiting, and vice versa.

If you suffer from gut problems, it is important to examine your stress levels and emotions. Studies have shown that stress reduction techniques are more effective than conventional medical treatments for improving gut symptoms.


Before getting into the details, let's first look at the biology behind the gut-brain axis.

Your nervous system

Your "main" nervous system consists of two parts. The first is the one we can control. It's what we use to move around, eat, and swim. This is the somatic nervous system.

Our nervous system's other half controls everything that we cannot control but must survive. Because it operates automatically, this part of the nervous system is known as the autonomic nervous system. These are processes that occur in the background, such as breathing, heartbeat, sweating, and shivering.


The autonomic system controls the body's functions by speeding up or slowing down. The sympathetic part is responsible for speeding up things, such as when our "fight or flee" responses kick in. This happens when there is danger, real or imagined, and we feel stressed. Our heart rate increases, and our breathing becomes heavier. Our bodies are preparing for fight or flight, so we focus on making sure our muscles have enough oxygen and blood to function properly.

The parasympathetic nervous system slows things down

Parasympathetic function is activated when we relax or after danger passes and we calm down. This allows our heart, lungs, muscles, and digestive systems to rest, making them perform their tasks better. This phase is when we secrete more digestive juices to digest food and absorb more nutrients. We also have lower levels of inflammation in our stomach. This is why it's called "rest and digest."


Both of these arms of the autonomic nervous system--the sympathetic and parasympathetic--interact with the gut. When we relax, our digestion works as it should. This means that our bodies can experience symptoms in the gut when we are stressed.

Your gut is your second brain.

Your "main" nervous systems are not the only ones your gut has. The enteric nervous system is a separate system. The enteric nervous system covers your entire digestive tract. It runs from your stomach to your colon, through your stomach and intestines, up to your colon. Because it functions in the same way as the main brain, this nervous system is often called the "second" brain. It is home to 100 million nerve cells, called neurons. They communicate with one another using biochemicals called "neurotransmitters."


The enteric nervous system receives input from both the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. It can therefore speed up or slow it down as needed. It can also function without the input of these nervous systems.


Because of the complexity of our digestive processes, this complex system is crucial. Our gut does this by using neurotransmitters. The neurons in the enteric system, for example, tell the muscles cells of the stomach, intestines, and stomach to contract to move food from one part to another.


Your immune system and your enteric nervous system are also closely connected. Because germs can easily enter the body via the mouth and get into the gut, this is why so many people have problems with their immune systems. There is a strong immune system to fight off germs before they spread to other areas of the body. The immune system cells provide another way for the gut and brain to communicate with each other. Your brain also receives information from them, such as when they detect an infection and when you are bloated.


Even friendly microbes in our gut (gut microbiome), which help us digest food and absorb nutrients, play a part in communication with the brain. Some of their neurotransmitters are known to affect our moods.

The gut-brain axis

The gut-brain connection is an intimate and complex link between your brain and gut. We now know that signals travel in both directions, from your brain to your gut and your gut to your brain. We see the connection between digestive problems and the brain, stress, and mood issues.


If someone is sufficiently stressed that they go into the "fight or flee" response, their digestion slows down to make it easier for them to fight or flee. The same physiological reaction occurs regardless of whether stress is real or perceived. Your body will react the same regardless of whether you are facing a serious life-threatening situation, or if you are stressed about a deadline. The disruption of the digestive system can lead to nausea and pain.


It is well-known that frequent or severe digestive problems can lead to increased stress levels and mood swings. People suffering from anxiety and depression have more GI symptoms and vice versa.

How emotions and stress affect your gut

It's easy for us to see how stress can impact our gut because of the strong connections between the brain and gut. Fear, sadness, anger, and feeling anxious or depressed often affect the gut. They can cause digestive systems to slow down or speed up too much. This can lead to bloating and pain. It can also allow germs cross the gut lining into the bloodstream, activating the immune system. It can cause inflammation and even alter the gut microbiome.


Stress and strong emotions can cause or worsen a variety of digestive problems, including Crohn's disease, colitis, gastroparesis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal regurgitation disease (GERD), food allergies or sensitivities. These gut issues get communicated to our brains, increasing stress and affecting our moods.

This vicious circle of stress, gut issues, and more stress leads to more gut problems.

Recent research has shown that gut inflammation and microbiome changes can profoundly impact many other areas of the body, not just the brain or mood. They are also linked to depression and heart disease.

How to eat and relax for better brain and gut health

Your health can be affected by what you eat. This is especially true for the microbiome. A higher-fiber, plant-based diet will improve your gut health. It provides your friendly gut microbes the best foods they need to grow and thrive. Probiotic foods with health-promoting bacteria are recommended. It is also possible to reduce the amount of sugar, red meat, and other processed foods you consume. A higher-fiber, plant-based diet can help you have a more diverse microbiome to optimize your health, lower gut inflammation, and reduce the risk of heart disease and depression.


Eat more of these to improve your gut, brain/mental health, and overall well-being:

* Vegetables and fruits

* Nuts, seeds

* Whole grains

* Yogurt

* Sauerkraut


Eat less:

* Sugar

* Red meat


How about stress? There is evidence that stress reduction techniques and psychotherapy can help those with gut problems. They can reduce the sympathetic "fight-or-flight" response and increase the parasympathetic (rest and digest) response.


These are some of my favorite stress-reduction methods that I recommend:


* Guided meditation

* Deep breathing

* Mindfulness

* Relaxation

* Hypnosis

* Yoga


You will be a blessing to your gut, brain, mood, and soul!

Conclusion

Our bodies are complex, and our organs interact with each other on many different levels. One prime example is the gut-brain axis. Research has shown that eating well improves your gut health and overall health and helps you maintain your brain and mental health. In addition, many stress-reduction methods have been proven to reduce distress and digestive illness.

If you're experiencing brain fog, it's important to rule out any possible gut problems. See your health care provider to get checked for conditions like gastroparesis, leaky gut syndrome, and bacterial overgrowth. If you are diagnosed with a gut problem, there are a number of things you can do to improve your symptoms. For example, you can try eating a healthy diet or a low FODMAP diet, take probiotics, and exercise regularly.

So if you're feeling foggy, don't forget to check in with your gut! It might be the root of the problem.