Digestion and Your Brain

Your brain and your digestive system affect each other, and this can create a vicious cycle that damages your health. You must address both your brain and your digestion to get relief from many chronic health problems.

Your stomach and intestines affect your brain. Irritation in your intestines stresses your brain, and if you can’t absorb the nutrients in your food, your brain doesn’t get the fuel it needs do its job.

It goes the other way as well. If your brain isn’t working well, your digestion suffers. People with brain injuries often develop problems with digestion, and as people get older and their brain slows down it is common to have low appetite, heartburn or bloating and constipation.

This gut and brain two-way interaction can create a vicious cycle that keeps you stuck in a pattern of poor health. You might continue to have problems with your digestion even though you eat the best diet in the world if the base of your brain is not doing its job, or you might struggle with anxiety, depression, or memory and concentration problems no matter how much therapy, exercise, and other lifestyle changes you make if you have a problem with your digestion.