Numerous studies have proven that your internal time clock, your circadian rhythm, is vital to your sleep/wake cycle.

But your circadian rhythm controls other essential functions, including your response to stress throughout the day.

Disrupt your body’s clock, and you end up feeling stressed — and not just because you’re sleep-deprived.

What’s really amazing, though, is that all of this stress regulation begins in the gut — about as far away from the brain as you can get.

The importance of the gut-brain axis

The gut-brain axis is like a superhighway that runs between your gut and your brain.

One affects the other, and research is constantly finding more ways that the two influence each other — and your health. The connection is undeniable at this point.

And while a connection between stress response and circadian rhythm may seem farfetched, it is anything but.

Professor John Cryan and a team of researchers at University College in Cork, Ireland, have pioneered research showing that the gut microbiome controls the body’s hormonal responses to stress in a time-dependent manner that closely mirrors circadian rhythm.

The team confirmed that oscillations of gut microbes across the day are critical for regulating stress hormone secretion — and that depletion of gut microbiota leads to a hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s central stress response system.

They identified specific bacteria in the gut, particularly a Lactobacillus strain known as Limosilactobacillus reuteri, responsible for excessive activation of the body’s stress response system, centered in the brain’s hypothalamus.

“Our research has revealed an important link between the gut microbiota and how the brain responds to stress in a time-specific way. The gut microbiome doesn’t just regulate digestion and metabolism; it plays a critical role in how we react to stress, and this regulation follows a precise circadian rhythm.”

In practical terms, this means that maintaining a healthy gut microbiome is vital to keeping your stress response system working around the clock — so it’s got your back anytime you need it.

Keep a balanced gut to stress less

We already know that the health of the gut is linked to the health of the body. All sorts of diseases, from breast cancer to Alzheimer’s to heart disease, have been linked to the gut microbiome.

So, how do you maintain a healthy gut? By keeping it balanced. Not surprisingly, that hinges on what you eat — and don’t eat. Here are a few tips:

Supplement probiotics. Taking a daily probiotic can have a direct influence on brain health.

Eat more fiber. Most Americans get nowhere near the recommended daily allowance of fiber. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are the best foods to help load up on soluble and insoluble fiber.

Add fermented foods to your routine. Some fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir can provide both probiotics and prebiotics. Kimchi and sauerkraut contain probiotics.

Pop some polyphenols. Berries, green tea and cocoa promote healthy bacteria and inhibit bad bacteria in the gut. Previous research found polyphenols regulate the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, improving mood and memory function.

Cut down on sugar. Sugar feeds the bad bacteria leading to dysbiosis, inflammation and promotes leaky gut — a condition where the gut walls become permeable, allowing bacteria and toxins to leak into the body and cause illness.

The more plant-based foods you eat, the greater the variety of bacteria in your gut that are ready to travel that superhighway to your brain and keep your stress response under control.

Sources:

Gut microbes play a key role in regulating stress responsiveness throughout the day, research finds — Eureka Alert

Gut microbiota regulates stress responsivity via the circadian system — Cell Metabolism