If you or your child are struggling with anxiety and also experiencing bloating, constipation, or acid reflux there may be more to the story than meets the eye. Many people don’t realize that the gut and anxiety are deeply connected. In fact, your digestive health may be influencing your mood far more than you think.
When Gut Symptoms and Anxiety Go Hand in Hand
Dr. Saila recently heard from a parent concerned about her daughter’s growing anxiety. Instead of jumping straight to medication, this mom took a more insightful approach by seeking help from a functional medicine perspective. It’s a smart move—especially when anxiety is paired with digestive symptoms.
If you often feel anxious, overstimulated, or even depressed without any clear cause, and you also experience gut issues like bloating, constipation, or acid reflux, it’s likely not a coincidence. That’s because over 90% of your serotonin—the “feel good” hormone—is produced in the gut. When the gut is inflamed, the brain feels it.
Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection
Inflammation or imbalance in the gut can send distress signals to the brain. This can lead to mood disorders such as anxiety and depression—even if everything else in life seems “fine.” This connection between gut and anxiety is now being widely acknowledged, and the good news is that there are natural, effective ways to start healing.
How to Support Your Gut and Ease Anxiety
If you’re looking for alternatives to simply managing symptoms with medication, here are a few holistic strategies that address the root of the issue:
- Balance Blood Sugar: Spikes and crashes in blood sugar can worsen both gut health and anxiety levels.
- Clean Up the Diet: Prioritize anti-inflammatory meals with whole foods, healthy fats, and minimal processed ingredients.
- Move Daily: Regular physical activity is key to reducing stress and supporting digestion.
- Use Gut-Healing Supplements: Certain herbs, probiotics, and enzymes can help restore balance in the gut.
- Reduce Toxins: Avoid foods treated with pesticides like glyphosate that disrupt the gut microbiome.
In some cases, medication may be necessary to stabilize symptoms in the short term—but long-term healing requires addressing the root causes, not just the symptoms.
You’re Not Alone
At Root Health MD, we’ve worked with individuals—even those experiencing severe emotional distress—who have seen dramatic improvements once we focused on gut healing. Mental health and gut health go hand in hand, and it’s empowering to know you have more options than you think.
If you’re curious whether your anxiety might be linked to your gut, visit RootHealthMD.com to read more, explore resources, or schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
You don’t have to feel overwhelmed. Relief might begin in your gut.
