Chronic Stress: How Does It Impact Your Gut?

by Eric Bakker N.D.

Stress most certainly causes constipation.

When you are under stress, your fight or flight mechanisms are activated. The fight or flight response is geared towards getting you away from a threat. As a result, stress hormones increase the blood flow to your limbs. After all, you’re going to need your legs to run and your arms to fight. Blood flow to the head and heart also increases because you need to think clearly and keep blood circulating when you’re in danger. You want your senses to be on high alert when faced with an imminent risk.

At the same time, as certain parts of your body get more blood flow, your digestive system gets less of a supply. Digestion simply isn’t the priority when you’re preparing to fight or run for your life. With less blood flowing to your intestines and digestive organs, the production of digestive enzymes drops right off.

Related articles:

In cave people days, the stress was a dinosaur. Now, the stress could be your partner, your boss, or traffic. Stress could also come in the form of parenting several children, juggling too many tasks, dealing with financial issues, or trying to finish your Ph.D. in the evening,

What the fight or flight response means is that chronic, low-grade stress can result in your digestive system being chronically “under” supplied with blood. One of the results of slowed digestion is constipation.

Often people think their diet is the cause of their constipation when really it’s the stress in their life.

If you have a stressful lifestyle, relaxation techniques can help reduce the impact on your bowels. Don’t let constipation continue unchecked. Don’t normalize a stressful lifestyle. Both can lead to massive problems down the track.

Sources:

About Eric Bakker N.D.

Eric Bakker ND has completed almost ten years of study and has almost almost 25 years of clinical experience in natural and integrative forms of medicine, and has pursued continuous post-graduate study in Australia, America, India as well as in New Zealand.

Eric is the past Vice President of the NZ Natural Medicine Association and is currently on their editorial advisory board.