{"id":19173,"date":"2020-05-08T21:28:24","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T21:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=19173"},"modified":"2020-05-08T21:28:24","modified_gmt":"2020-05-08T21:28:24","slug":"how-stress-affects-your-digestion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-stress-affects-your-digestion\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dietitian Explains How Stress Affects Your Digestion"},"content":{"rendered":"Bloated, gassy, or running to the bathroom more than usual? It\u2019s time to check in on your stress levels. Jessica Bippen, MS, RD<\/a>, uncovers how stress affects your digestion<\/a> and how to manage both.<\/em>\r\n\r\nHave you ever had butterflies in your stomach when making a tough decision? Or maybe you\u2019ve had to give a speech but suddenly found yourself running off to the bathroom only moments before you present. Both of these are perfect examples of how stress impacts digestive health.\r\n\r\nThat\u2019s right! There\u2019s a profound link between stress and gut health<\/a>. Your digestion gets thrown off when stress goes unmanaged, making for uncomfortable and sometimes even embarrassing moments. But it doesn\u2019t have to be this way! Read on to learn more about the link between stress and digestion. Plus: effective ways to proactively optimize gut health and manage stress.\r\n

Your Body’s Response to Stress<\/h2>\r\nStress is a natural mental and physical reaction to many situations that arise in life. In turn, your body is designed to handle stress. For instance, in short-term instances, stress can be beneficial<\/a> to your health. Your body responds to stress by releasing hormones that increase heartbeat and send blood rushing to the areas that need it most in an emergency, such as your muscles, heart, and lungs. You may be familiar with the term \u201cflight or fight,\u201d during which stress puts your body in survival mode.\r\n\r\nWhen the stress goes away, your body returns back to its normal state. That being said, for many people, stress is constant, meaning their body stays in a constant survival mode. Your body works in overdrive in order to \u201cprotect\u201d you, yet this prolonged state of stress can take its toll on your health.\r\n\r\nIn both cases, stress affects your body on a cellular level. Even a small amount of stress can trigger mental and physical symptoms. In the short-term, this change could go unnoticed, but long periods of stress can cause a number of undesirable symptoms.\r\n\r\nSymptoms of chronic stress include:\r\n