Have you ever had ‘butterflies’ in your stomach during a stressful situation or felt like your stomach was tied in knots after an argument? Have you ever had to make a beeline to the toilet right before an important event even though you hadn’t eaten anything unusual? Stress can affect you in many ways and it’s not just emotional – it gets physical too, and gut problems are one of the most common symptoms of stress.

Researchers have identified a powerful connection between your gut and your brain. Like your brain, your gut is full of nerves, in fact, it contains the largest area of nerves outside your brain with your digestive tract and your brain sharing many of the same nerve connections. When your body experiences stress, it causes a cascade of events, known as ‘fight or flight’, that are designed to help you escape imminent danger. This can cause your body to shut down ‘non-essential’ processes, including digestion, and re-directs its resources and energy to your brain and muscles. This works well in the short term, but if this stress pattern continues over time then your digestive system may become compromised which can result in digestive disturbances and discomfort.