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We’re all familiar with experiencing bouts of stress now and again. Depending on the type of stress we experience, some acute stress can be good for us. Chronic stress can have more significant impacts on our health. It may even lead to alterations in our gut microbiome. This includes metabolic pathways like glucose regulation. 

Let’s examine how stress can trigger this chain of events. Additionally, learn some ways you can help reduce stress on your life and microbiome. 

Gut Health & Stress:

Under tension, you may experience a variety of emotions. You may have a racing heart. A faster breathing rate. An inability to sit still. A mind that you can’t calm down. Some people experience a change in bowel activity. When we feel scared or upset, this flight or fight reaction occurs within our body. This is an automatic reaction to something that we perceive as stressful. 

Beyond these symptoms, stress also influences us on a deeper level — even after the initial stressor subsides. The gut-brain axis describes the bidirectional relationship between what’s going on in our brain and what’s going on in our gut. Specifically, our gut microbiome — the community of microorganisms that live in our digestive tract — can be altered by stress and ultimately influence other pathways and functions in the body.

Studies on humans have found that cortisol changes triggered by stress are associated with alterations in gut bacteria. Others note that people with stress-related conditions like depression often have less beneficial bacteria, and more pathogenic bacteria, in their gut compared to healthy people. 

Glucose Metabolism Influenced by Stress:

Research suggests that chronic stress can lead to poor glucose regulation. One of the characteristics of the fight-or-flight response is an increased release of blood sugar and fats into the bloodstream. This will supply additional energy into the body. Adrenaline is also released in response to short-term stress. But a long-term stress response can also trigger the release of the hormone cortisol, which raises blood sugar more. 

If this response is happening over and over, glucose regulation may be altered. This results in high blood sugar and lower insulin secretion. People who already have some insulin resistance may even require higher doses of insulin than they normally would because of chronic stress increasing their blood sugar levels. And those who have prediabetes or other risk factors in addition to chronic stress may be looking at a higher risk of developing the disease. 

Putting it All Together:

The gut interacts with the rest of your body in countless ongoing ways. However, to simplify it, let’s look at this as a four-way system of communication between what you’re eating, your gut health, your brain, and your mood. When just one part of this system is influenced, the rest of the system also feels the effects and adapts accordingly. 

For example, research shows that eating more fruits and vegetables can alter the type and abundance of gut bacteria in as little as 24 hours. This alteration in bacteria can then influence your brain, mood, and metabolic pathways. Furthermore, plant-based, fiber-rich foods are associated with more diverse gut bacteria, including those that produce short-chain fatty acids that support gut health. 

When we’re feeling stressed, we tend to opt for foods that taste the best to us. Often these foods are high in fat and sugar. This is because bacteria can produce molecules that mimic appetite hormones, and stress increases the number of these appetite-promoting bugs. In turn, these foods — along with hormones and inflammation associated with stress — influence which type of gut bacteria thrive. On the other hand, when the gut bacteria is altered in this way it may even promote poor mood and further stress. 

Ultimately, chronic stress paired with a less healthy diet pattern can keep the cycle going, interrupting metabolic function, promoting gut permeability, and increasing the risk of developing conditions like type 2 diabetes. 

Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress:

It’s a stressful world. While we can’t control most of what’s going on around us, we can work to gain better control of how it may affect us mentally and physically. Here are a few ways you can work on improving your stress management. 

• Exercise: Getting regular exercise is important for both physical and emotional health. Movement can help burn off the extra glucose released from fight-or-flight, calm your body, and increase insulin sensitivity. Find something you enjoy, whether it’s walking, jogging, biking, swimming, or playing tennis. 
• Meditate: Finding ways to get quiet can be hard. But research shows that even 10-15 minutes of meditation can have positive effects on stress in a matter of weeks.
• Eat well: Fueling your body with predominantly whole, minimally processed foods is the best way to provide it with the nutrients it needs. Foods that are ultra-processed and pre-packaged tend to be high in added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. This does not provide many beneficial nutrients. Fiber-rich plant foods and fermented foods — such as tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, and kefir — are some of the best foods for your gut microbiome. 
• Find community: We do life better together and that includes how we manage the effects of stress. Confide in trusted friends or family members, get involved in group activities you enjoy and seek out counseling. 
• Get enough sleep: Experts recommend 7-9 hours of sleep per night for adults which can be difficult when stressed. For rest and rejuvenation, make your bedroom a place that promotes sleep, and try to follow a regular sleep-wake cycle.

Stress is powerful but so are you. Help protect your gut microbiome and all of the potential effects of stress on your body by practicing some of the tips above.