Stress and Digestion Part 3-Rescuing Your Digestive System

Rescuing Your Digestive System

Although it is not possible to avoid all stress, it is beneficial to keep stress at a manageable level and allow your parasympathetic nervous system to have a chance to repair your body. Here are some things you can do to help:

• Exercise can help decrease stress hormones in the same way that a physical response to stress worked in our ancestors

• Laugh! It has been shown to reduce cortisol

• Practice yoga or listen to music – Doing so decreases cortisol and the sympathetic stress response

• Take mini-breaks – Just by standing up from your desk and stretching for a few minutes, or taking time to actually chew and taste a healthy lunch rather than hurriedly gobbling something down, you can encourage a parasympathetic response that supports your digestion

• Any activity (not including the use of alcohol or drugs) that allows you to release your stress, to relax, or to slow your heart rate helps your parasympathetic nervous system get back in the driver’s seat, repairing your intestines, absorbing nutrients and allowing your digestive system to function normally

Supplemental Support in Times of Stress

In addition to these lifestyle changes, incorporating supplements that provide focused digestive and adrenal support can make a big difference in enhancing your digestive system’s resilience to stress.

For the Digestive System:

Natural fibers like ginger can help keep things moving

• Natural fibers such as psyllium, oat bran, rice bran, prunes, ginger, fenugreek seed and vegetable cellulose help restore normal intestinal mobility

• Digestive enzymes such as papaya or betaine HCl help break down food when the body is not secreting enough enzymes on its own

• Beneficial bacteria, such as lactobacillus and bifidobacteria, along with fructooligosaccharides (FOS) which feed them, can help reestablish a balanced intestinal environment

• MSM and glycine reduce inflammation and help maintain the health of the digestive tract lining

• L-glutamine, glutamic acid and quercetin enhance the integrity of the intestinal lining

Herbs like echinacea soothe and protect the intestines

• Herbs like echinacea, slippery elm and ginger soothe and protect the intestines

• Nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, manganese and phosphatidylcholine are important for normal tissue growth and repair

• Mastic gum, MSM, licorice and glycine are anti-inflammatory and may help to soothe and protect irritated digestive tracts

• Ginger helps reduce nausea and vomiting and aids normal movement of food through the stomach

• Goldenseal, vitamin A and echinacea help promote healthy immune function

• Citrus bioflavonoids increase mucus secretion in the intestines and help protect intestinal cells

For the Adrenals and Nervous System:

Aswagandha, an adaptogenic herb, can help support the stress response system

• Vitamins A, C and E help modulate the stress response

• B vitamins and choline are required for the normal functioning of the nervous system

• Vitamin C is rapidly depleted in stressful times and needs to be replenished in order for the body to continue to handle stress

• Bioflavonoids increase absorption and effectiveness of vitamin C

• Eleutherococcus is anti-inflammatory and helps curb excessive physiologic changes to stress

• Ashwagandha and maca help modulate many of the adverse changes which accompany stress, including elevated cortisol

• Alfalfa helps protect the nervous system

By supporting your body in times of stress, not only will your digestive tract be healthier, but it will provide your whole body with the nutrients you need to be more resilient to stress and live a healthier, more balanced and productive life.

Read part 1 -Digestion and the Nervous System

Read part 2 – When Stress Takes Over

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