Is meditation good for digestion and gut health?

When my stress levels peak, that anxiety tends to be accompanied by physical side effects.Headaches, insomnia and breakouts are the three I know best, but recently I felt my worries threw me Digestive system Even from a bang.

In search of heartburn and nausea relief, I came across the idea of ​​meditation and wondered if practicing with or without stress could support overall gut health. After all, I took a lot of meditation and yoga classes that touched on the concept of “rest and digestion” in the parasympathetic nervous system.

Dr. Jacqueline Trentino, DO, senior doctor Parsley healthIt gave us more insight into why stress relief, such as meditation, is commonly discussed with digestive health.

“The idea that meditation and other stress management modality can affect digestion came from a new study of what is called the cerebrointestinal axis. The cerebrointestinal axis is basically between the brains. It’s a complex bidirectional pathway. The gastrointestinal tract, “says Dr. Trentino.

“This pathway actually covers a variety of systems, including the central nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, parasympathetic nervous system, enteric nervous system, and gut flora.”

According to Dr. Trentino, the brain and intestines are capable of communicating with each other, which can affect the speed of the digestive process and even inflammation of the intestines.

“Our gut also has an enteric nervous system, a nervous system that can communicate with the brain and regulate specific digestive processes and functions.”

An example of this cerebrointestinal connection is the physical gastrointestinal symptom commonly experienced when you are overwhelmed or overstressed.

Dr. Trentino adds that stress is associated with problems such as heartburn, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, convulsions, and abdominal distension and may be associated with gastrointestinal disorders such as GERD, IBS, and IBD. .. It can also exacerbate symptoms such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

“Therefore, this idea that meditation, mindfulness intervention, or breathing exercises can have a positive impact on gastrointestinal health is due to the close relationship between the brain and gut, and stress negatively affecting gastrointestinal function. It is born from this new understanding that it can have an impact, and the intestinal flora, “says Dr. Trentino.

It’s not as easy as “meditation is good for the digestive system because it helps manage stress,” but I’m interested in exploring the links between all of these, based on a new understanding of how to work with the brain. It is increasing. The intestines interact with each other. ”

Meditation and mindfulness may not be all the answers to improving your digestive health, but Dr. Trentino says they are comprehensive Treatment strategy.

“What you eat, when you eat, your gastrointestinal health, and your gut flora are all responsible for your digestion.”

It is important to remember that controlling stress through meditation does not result in the same digestive consequences for everyone. Even if you practice for a week every day (impressive!), The symptoms of the problem do not go away.

“There are no magical sessions, minutes, or days. Then someone will definitely see the results. This is an overall strategy to improve digestion and resolve specific complaints and problems. And incorporating meditation into your lifestyle. This also varies from person to person and is likely not solely due to stress. Many problems are multifactorial and often require multifactorial solutions. There is. ”

If you want to add meditation to your lifestyle routines to support your digestive health, there are two different ways, Dr. Trentino says.

One is to use meditation to reduce the overall level of daily stress. From headspace to calm Lots of meditation apps Whether you are an experienced or newcomer, we offer a wide range of guided sessions at all levels. If you don’t want to spend money on your monthly subscription, YouTube is another great option — This class by yoga by Candice In fact, it is specially curated for gastrointestinal health.

The second way to use mindfulness for digestive health is to practice mindfulness, says Dr. Trentino. This is “eating slowly, chewing food completely, being present, and really paying attention to what we are eating and how we are experiencing it, and we are actually It consists of “being more aware that you are full.”

These habits can help digestion by preventing a person from overeating or overeating at one time. But, again, it’s important to remember that not all gastrointestinal symptoms are caused by stress and are not eliminated by stress relief. Therefore, if you have any concerns, ask your doctor for personalized advice.

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