We often underestimate just how much stress can influence our gut health. Whether it’s lack of sleep, financial pressures or time constraints, stress does not just affect our mood – it can disrupt the delicate balance of microbes that support digestion, immunity and even our mental wellbeing. These microbes can also impact our ability to digest food and make mood-supporting vitamins such as B vitamins.
Cortisol – our primary stress hormone – has been linked to reduced diversity in the microbes that make up our gut microbiome, which can have a knock-on effect for our functional gut health. It can also affect our appetite and reduce the quality of our diet, causing unwanted digestive symptoms such as bloating.
New research* of 2,000 UK adults commissioned by Bio-Kult shows that stress is a daily reality for many of us. One in five adults report feeling stressed every single day, with money worries, a lack of time and feeling left out of social plans among the most common triggers.
Almost two-thirds of Brits (60%) experience stress at least once a week, often driven by poor sleep, rising household bills or unexpected costs such as car repairs, while others pointed to the constant juggle of everyday life as a source of pressure – not having enough time to get everything done, relax, enjoy hobbies or spend money on themselves triggering feelings of stress.
For half of Brits (48%) stress manifests both physically and mentally, while one in 10 (12%) said they are more likely to experience physical signs of stress such as digestive discomfort, gas and bloating.
While understanding the root cause of your stress response and focusing on healthy habits to help you feel good during a stressful period are key, supporting your gut can help your mind and body feel stronger and more resilient at challenging times.
By supporting the gut with a diverse diet of nourishing foods, you can help to feed beneficial microbes found in your gut.
In addition to small changes to your diet, gentle movement and physical exercise may help lower cortisol levels, improve mood and support healthy bowel movements.
In addition to a balanced diet, introducing a live bacteria supplement such as Bio-Kult Everyday can complement your existing gut flora and provide your gut with extra support when you need it most.
- Everyday stress increases cortisol, which can reduce the diversity of microbes in the gut and disrupt digestion, contributing to symptoms like bloating and loss of appetite.
- Stress is a daily reality for many, with almost half of Brits suffering from both mental and physical symptoms including noticeable changes in their gut health.
- Small, consistent habits, such as a varied, gut-nourishing diet, prioritising rest, staying active and supporting the gut by taking a live bacteria supplement might help you manage the impact stress has on the gut.
