Naturopathic Medicine: How are
Stress and Gut Health Connected?

How much do you know about your gut health? Many people haven’t given much thought to this vital part of their overall wellness, but naturopaths know just how critical gut health is to the rest of your body.

Your body is home to a vast array of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Many (think trillions) can be found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or gut. They play a significant role in many essential functions of the body, and when they’re out of balance, your whole body can be affected.

If you want to improve your gut health, naturopathic care in Calgary is a good option.

Why is gut health key to our overall health and well-being?

Gut health is about far more than just how we digest our food. So while digestive complaints may be the symptoms that drive people to seek help, there’s much more going on in your gut than just digestion.

Your gut health can impact your overall wellness, from your immune system to regulating moods and helping prevent inflammation in the body. With that perspective, it’s easy to understand how gut health can impact your overall health and how you feel each day.

Signs of poor gut health include:

• Weight gain or loss
• Gas and bloating
• Discomfort after eating
• Stomach pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Blood in stool
• Sleep problems
• Fatigue
• Bad breath
• Food cravings, especially sugar
• Food intolerances
• Skin irritations
• Mood changes or mood swings
• Increase in stress

The broad range of symptoms can make it tricky to know why you’re suffering, but an experienced naturopathic doctor can help see the larger issue.

How are stress and gut health connected?

With better insight into how much our gut health affects the rest of our health, the connection between stress and gut health begins to make sense. For example, you may notice that your digestive symptoms or concerns ramp up when under stress. Or, if your gut health is poor, you may find yourself struggling with seemingly unrelated physical, mental, or emotional symptoms.

Stress, gut health, and digestive function are all connected, with imbalances in one area showing up as symptoms elsewhere.

Inflammation is one of the most common sources of this disruption. A large majority of inflammatory cells are produced in the gut as a defense against the outside world. Symptoms of disrupted digestion as listed above are signs that inflammation is occurring in the gut. When the gut produces many inflammatory cells, these cells can travel through the blood to the brain and make it more difficult to manage stress, it may also present as worsened mood changes such as irritability, anxiety, depression.

Likewise, chronic repeated stress causes the accumulation of inflammation in the body that leads to gut disturbances, as listed above, that can perpetuate this inflammatory response.

For this reason, your naturopath will always ask you questions about your digestion and ability to manage stressful situations. A skilled naturopath can assess your whole body health and look for connections to better understand how to resolve your symptoms and get you back to better health and wellness.

How can naturopathic care support gut health?

Naturopathic medicine aims to treat the whole body with a holistic approach. Our naturopathic doctors won’t simply treat your symptoms; they’ll work with you to identify and address the underlying causes. Depending on your presentation, your naturopath may recommend diet changes, stress management practices, nutraceuticals or testing to determine the root cause of your symptoms. Tests may include comprehensive stool analysis, microbiome analysis, food sensitivity testing, blood tests or salivary or serum cortisol testing. This comprehensive approach is perfect for gathering the correct information to properly diagnose any conditions that may be preventing you from feeling your best.

Our naturopathic doctors are experts in assessing the health of your whole body and making connections between symptoms or recommending testing to diagnose you properly. They can then create treatment plans to relieve your symptoms and address the actual cause.

If you’re struggling with stress, digestion, and gut health, we invite you to come in for an assessment and learn more about how naturopathic care can help.

When should people seek help?

It’s good to connect with a care provider anytime you feel unwell or notice lingering symptoms that interfere with how you function or enjoy daily life. Chronic inflammation has been shown to be a gateway to developing a variety of chronic diseases. If you experience chronic stress or chronic digestive disruption it is important to speak with your naturopathic doctor to prevent the development of chronic disease. Naturopathic medicine can complement conventional care to help restore and maintain your overall health and well-being.

What can I expect from my first visit?

Our naturopathic doctors will take a thorough health history. Next, they’ll conduct a physical exam and discuss the need to requisition blood work and testing for appropriate diagnosis. This step helps rule out other causes of your symptoms and ensures they recommend the most appropriate treatment plan for your symptoms.

NOTE: As always, our licensed practitioners at Action Health are your best source of up-to-date and accurate information regarding this and any other treatment plan we recommend.

Please call our front desk at (403) 243-8114 to book a consultation with one of our naturopathic doctors to see if naturopathic treatment is appropriate for you.