The Link Between Stress and IBS: Part 2
By Stephanie Walsh, CPT, CNTP, CEPC
possible or, at the very least, a long and arduous journey. IBS is a very complicated disorder that involves many other aspects of your health and life, but there is hope and that is what this three-part article series is all about! Part One of this article series, featured in the last issue of ELMTM
F Maine,
talked about the six contributing factors of body responds to stress and the role stress plays in IBS. Today, we dive a little deeper into how the state of the community of gut microbiota) can effect and be effected will suffer from IBS.
The Direct Effects of Stress on Gut Microbiota
The terms gut microbiota and gut microbiome are usually used interchange- ably, however there is an actual distinction between them. The human gut microbiota is the collection of microbial cells living in the human digestive tract; the human gut microbiome is the actual genes of those microbial cells. So, the microbiota is your community of gut bugs and the microbiome is their cumulative genetic code. Amazing- ly, this community of symbiotic microbes consist of close to 400 different species, a majority of which belong to one of two
24 ELM™ Maine - July/August 2018
or anyone who suffers with Irritable improved gut health may feel im-
phyla – Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The microbiome of these microbes is reported to have a colossal 3.3 million non-redun- dant genes, while the human genome con- sists of a mere 22,000 genes. This means the human body contains over 100 times more microbiota genes than human genes! Not all of these species, or their genes, re- side in every human body, however. There has been similar microbiota found among family members, but there does not seem to be a core set of microbiota species shared among all humans. In fact, studies indicate the gut microbiota and microbiome differ substantially, up to an 80-90% difference, between individuals.
Whatever the microbiota variety is
in each individual, this community of commensal bacteria is crucial to gut health. They produce enzymes which allow the body to absorb certain nutrients. They help balance the gut microbiota by creating an inhospitable environment for patho- genic species. Additionally, they can help maintain the integrity of the intestinal wall, produce neurotransmitters, regulate bowel movements, modulate visceral hyper- sensitivity and may even control anxiety – key characteristics that contribute to the remission or onset of IBS. More recently, research has also proposed a more compli- cated communication pathway between the gut and brain that includes the gut microbiota.
The Brain-Gut-Microbiota Axis Just as the gut and brain send signals
to each other, it has been found that the microbiota can also create a bidirectional communication with the brain. Similar to the HPA axis’s intricate network of checks and balances for the stress response becomes part of a complex system called BGM axis connects the microbiota, enteric and immune responses. Although the brain-gut communication is still not fully immune system, both of which effect the body’s stress response. Even if the microbi- ota’s role is not determined yet, the concept of the BGM axis is supported by studies that associate the stress response with micro- biota balance.
Stress and the Microbiota
Research of numerous animal studies has indicated a strong correlation between stress and the microbiota. Studies have indicated that rats without commensal mi- crobiota showed elevated levels of anxious behavior as well as impaired control of the stress response. Other studies have shown a
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