This Supplement Promotes Healthy Digestion, Even When You're Stressed*
Let's face it: Stress is an attention hog. No matter how hard you try to ignore it, it'll find a way to reveal itself—be it through your dreams, your skin, or even your digestion. Unfortunately, until stress is addressed, your digestion might be affected (yep, stress stomachaches and stress poops are real). Thankfully, certain supplements can help.*
The connection between stress, digestion, and your gut microbiome.
"Scientists have known about the connection between our gut microbiome and our mood for a long time," internal medicine physician Austin Perlmutter, M.D., previously told mbg. One reason gut and mental health are so interconnected is that the gut contains significantly more serotonin receptors1 than the brain, integrative medicine physician Aditi Nerurkar, M.D., MPH, previously told mbg.
One study published in the British Medical Journal found probiotics alone, or in combination with prebiotics, can improve mental well-being, and other studies can confirm the link between a healthy gut microbiome and mental resilience2.*
How probiotics help with stress and digestion.*
A healthy gut microbiome keeps digestion running smoothly. "People need to understand that the role of the gut bacteria is not just to help with digestion, but it is constantly communicating with everything: our immune system, our hormones, our brain," functional medicine doctor Amy Shah, M.D., previously told mbg. "They are an essential part of our body's army."
Probiotic supplements help strengthen that army by adding healthy bacteria to the gut, which by proxy enhances other factors, like mental well-being.* mindbodygreen's probiotic+ contains four targeted probiotic strains, which have been clinically shown to support gut health and maintain key, daily functions of the digestive system.* But don't take our word for it—here's how actual users say it works.
Bottom line.
Keeping your stress under control and taking a daily probiotic are good insurance policies for your mental, digestive, and overall whole-body health.* If you want to learn more about your digestive health, you can consult with a gastroenterologist or primary care physician.
Abby Moore is an editorial operations manager at mindbodygreen. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin and has previously written for Tribeza magazine. She has covered topics ranging from regenerative agriculture to celebrity entrepreneurship. Moore worked on the copywriting and marketing team at Siete Family Foods before moving to New York.