This is a topic I’m excited to discuss as most people don’t understand it’s astounding impact on gut health, especially if you have IBD. There is a lot to cover, as the amount of research and knowledge on the subject is ever growing. For this reason, I decided to break it down into two parts, one post this week and one post next week. I hope that this gives you more time to ‘digest’ the information (pun intended), and take away knowledge that can benefit your life personally. Let’s get started with how the gut and brain communicate, and how this applies to IBD.
IBD is an inflammatory disease of the intestines which is known to have disturbance in the bidirectional interaction with the gut and brain. This communication takes place by both direct and indirect actions. These interactions happen via the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system. Through the miscommunications seen with IBD, it is generally accepted that Crohn’s and Colitis are both complex and multifactorial diseases. As of late, more and more attention is being drawn to the gut/brain axis communication and its effect on chronic inflammation in relation to stress. As more information is found, it will help with understanding the impact of managing these diseases, and could lead to new treatments or ideas for improving quality of life.
Let’s look at how these pathways can be affected by stress. When your body senses stress, your adrenal glands in your lymphatic system are triggered, which is tied directly with your brain. When responding to stress the adrenal system secretes corticotropin form the hypothalamus. This then stimulates the pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone. This starts releasing the immunosuppressive stress hormone cortisol. This process has been shown to increase the dysfunctional barrier in the intestines, as well as causing a shift in the composition of the microbes in the gut. There is also evidence supporting the autonomic nervous system and the coordination of the intestinal tract and walls. This interaction from the central nervous system regulates mucosal immune response in the cell walls of the intestines. This may give some insight as to why people with IBD have so much mucosal activity, especially in times of active disease or stress.
Now that we see how the gut and brain communicate, let’s look at how the world of the gut microbiome of over 35,ooo bacterial species affects us. These microorganisms help control metabolism, maintain proper barrier function of the intestine walls, mucosal secretion, protection from foreign invading bacteria, to even changes in mood and development of mental illnesses. These findings support the fact that many people with IBD suffer from depression or anxiety. There is also strong data showing abnormal or alteration of the gut biome can lead to the onset of chronic inflammatory disorders such as IBD.
Many other factors come into play with the onset and diagnosis of IBD, like genetics, diet, lifestyle, and environment. These are directly tied to the diagnosis of IBD. A large genetic study done, found that four specific genes seem to be associated with Crohn’s disease. It has also been found that ‘non-coding single nucleotide polymorphisms’ have been linked to IBD risk, although more work needs to be done to completely understand the correlation. Many other factors can come into play including; how much sleep you get, vitamin D intake, smoking, geographic location, exercise, and overuse of anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics. While the exact reasons are not fully understood, scientists are getting closer to understanding how IBD affects the body, and why the immune system attacks itself.
I hope this clearly lays out the importance of the brain gut connection, and how important it can be in diagnosing and managing IBD. Join me next week as we take a look at part two of the brain gut connection. We will explore stress’s relationship with IBD and gut microbes, as well as its impact on inflammation, and ways managing stress can bring some relief.
Want to check out all the juicy scientific details and take a sneak peak at next weeks topics? Get the original article HERE!
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