Have you struggled with IBS symptoms? It can sometimes feel like bloating, discomfort, or unpredictable flare-ups are ruling your life! I want to share my personal journey with IBS and how it changed my perspective on gut health. This is my journey of discovering the powerful link between the gut and brain, and how healing my mind transformed my digestive health.
The beginning
Before I began my journey as a Nutritional Therapist and working for Chuckling Goat, I was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). IBS is a condition often used as an umbrella term for digestive issues that don’t fall under specific diagnoses like IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). Interestingly, IBS was recently renamed a Disorder of Brain-Gut Interaction (DBGI). This reflects a deeper understanding of how the brain, gut, and microbiome (the fungi, bacteria, and viruses living in the body) are interconnected.1https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31851972/
After visiting doctors and being prescribed an anti-spasmodic that treated my symptoms but not the root cause, I felt stuck. That’s when a family member, who had drastically improved her gut health, recommended a homoeopath. Intrigued, I decided to give it a try.
The epiphany
Within weeks of using homoeopathic remedies alongside probiotics, I felt like a new person. My digestion stabilised – I had consistent stools and went to the loo at the same time every day, and my mood soared. For the first time in years, I felt truly well.
Curious about the remedies, I researched their ingredients. Each was designed to address the nervous system, offering calming properties and alleviating stress. It was a revelation: mental health had a profound impact on my gut health.
The Chuckling Goat way
This experience taught me that tackling stress and supporting the nervous system is just as vital as addressing physical symptoms when it comes to gut health. It’s a lesson I carry with me into my work at Chuckling Goat, helping others on their wellness journeys. This is why, alongside our Gut Health Protocol, we may recommend tinctures such as Ashwagandha and Siberian ginseng, which play a crucial role in balancing neurotransmitters and hormones that influence gut and brain health.
Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogenic herb that decreases stress hormones like cortisol, building your body’s resilience.2https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13668-023-00481-0 High cortisol can harm the gut by causing inflammation and disrupting digestion.3https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cn/2016/00000014/00000008/art00016 By keeping cortisol in check, Ashwagandha helps improve mood and gut health. It also boosts GABA, a calming neurotransmitter, helping to relax the nervous system and support digestion. Ashwagandha may also have a positive effect on serotonin levels, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and plays an important role in gut function.4https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13668-023-00481-0
Siberian ginseng works in a similar way by supporting the adrenal glands, which control stress levels.5https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5628357/ It also acts as a stimulant and helps balance other important chemicals in the body, like dopamine and noradrenaline, increasing nervous system function and improving energy, focus, and mood.
You can see how these herbs can greatly impact the gut-brain connection and profoundly benefit the nervous system and digestive health. They can regulate hormones and neurotransmitters, reduce inflammation and create a more favourable environment for healthy gut bacteria present in your microbiome. If you want to learn more about them, click here.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out some of our other articles: How is your mental wellness connected to your gut? and What’s the quickest way to boost your mental health?
Questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays for bespoke advice on gut wellness.
References
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
