Your Gut Microbes May Impact Your Ability to Handle Stress
A new UCLA study finds that people who are resilient to stress tend to have healthy gut microbiomes
Butterflies in the stomach before a high-stakes event and other bodily symptoms and reactions that accompany extreme emotions have been experienced by many of us, yet the extent of the brain-gut connection in our lives is not restricted to stomach curdles alone.

Mala Sharma held a high-stress job as a special education teacher in a preschool. When she reported gastrointestinal (GI) issues and anxiety symptoms to her physician, she was prescribed medications for her conditions, and also recommended dietary and lifestyle changes. But the close connection between stress and her GI condition was not highlighted by her physician.
A new UCLA health study titled "Stress-resilience impacts psychological well-being as evidenced by brain-gut microbiome interactions" has provided interesting insights into the brain-gut microbiome (BGM) system and its role in mental health.
Increasing evidence linking stress with depression and anxiety spurred the UCLA researchers to explore the biological basis of buoyancy beyond psychological and social factors. Stress contributes to a staggering $300 billion in health care costs and missed workdays in the United States every year. By identifying characteristics of a resilient brain and its connection to the gut microbiome, the UCLA researchers hope to open up new paths for treatments that can reduce the risk of stress-related mental health disorders.
According to Arpana Church, co-director of the UCLA Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center and the senior author of the study, "Resilient individuals are good at regulating emotions with great cognitive functioning and flexibility. They are also less neurotic, more mindful, grateful and at the gut microbiome level have reduced inflammation and better gut barrier integrity. When you have inflammation, it's like a systemic thing — found in pretty much all disorders."
She adds that more integrated research and clinical studies with human subjects are needed that could lead to treatments. It may also point the way to biomarkers in the microbiome that can help tailor decisions on how to use existing therapies in mental health.
"If the brain is like our computer, we're finding out that the gut microbiome is also the second brain and they're interconnected."
"If the brain is like our computer, we're finding out that the gut microbiome is also the second brain and they're interconnected," Church says. "It's really important to look at the two together. We also need to see how people function in an environment and take this whole person perspective when we're doing research."
In the study, 116 adults without a mental health diagnosis were divided into two groups based on how they scored on a scale of psychological resilience. In addition to resilience, the study measured several other psychological and behavioral traits for anxiety, depression, mindfulness, cognitive abilities (such as memory and attention) and perceived stress to identify correlations that could reveal more about resilience.
Brain-Gut Connection Studies
The UCLA study fits into a growing body of work on the brain-gut connection. "Microbiome ecosystem changes constantly. Microbiome data measured at a time is a snapshot of that time, but with advanced techniques and technology, we can measure the microbiome data volatility and have found lower volatility indicates lesser stress in both animal and human samples," says Thomaz Bastiaanssen, a bioinformatician who studies the gut microbiome and mental health at Amsterdam University Medical Center.
"Microbiome metabolic environment is based both on our diet and the medications like antibiotics that we take. We should have always listened to our grandmothers. They were right to suggest that to prevent dietary deficiencies we need to eat our veggies and greens. A more diverse diet in general and specifically more diverse sources of fiber and fermented food for a more stable and rich microbiome system is the key. The natural state of the microbiome to be healthy," Bastiaanssen adds.
"The more fibers in your diet you have, the more different types of microbes you can support."
The gut microbiota converses with the brain by secreting neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine (about 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut and about 50% of dopamine). Additionally, the microbiome can produce short-chain fatty acids that help maintain the gut barrier to exert an anti-inflammatory effect on the brain.
"The more fibers in your diet you have, the more different types of microbes you can support," Bastiaanssen says. "And these start cross feeding and interacting with each other, and then you get this diverse community."
The UCLA researchers are excited about the potential for developing new treatments based on their findings. By targeting both the brain and the gut, interventions that enhance resilience and prevent mental health conditions before they start may be in the offing. This could include dietary changes, probiotics or even other advanced therapies.
By targeting both the brain and the gut, interventions that enhance resilience and prevent mental health conditions before they start may be in the offing.
"The problem with the probiotic market is that a lot of these supplements have not been tested on humans," Church says. "We should move away from this whole concept of specific diets. There are no miracle diets. I talk about the ABC's (always be counting) about the number of different vegetables, fruits and legumes that you need to consume every week. So long as you get about 30 different fruits and vegetables, then you're good. It's really important to increase the diversity."
She adds, "Starting with 30, and then moving up is a good idea, and that's the best way to change your microbiome and to have a healthy gut microbiome and support optimal brain function and mental well-being."
Diet Details
For now, the most influential and easiest way to impact your gut microbiome is through diet. The gut-brain connection is best supported by incorporating a balanced and diverse diet rich in fiber, probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, while minimizing consumption of processed foods, added sugars, artificial sweeteners, excessive alcohol and antibiotics.
"Not all fermented food is equal. You have to be really careful about fermented food that's in vinegar or that has some kind of preservative in it because that kills the good bacteria. A probiotic is kind of like a fermented food, but not all fermented foods are probiotics. Probiotics are alive. Bacteria that you're trying to get into your body that stays alive by the time it gets to the gut. When you add the additives or the preservatives or vinegar, it kills those bacteria," says Church.
The aim of these studies is that these can lead to the discovery of biomarkers that can help steer decisions on using existing treatments and the best option among them.

She also writes poetry and her poems have been published in several anthologies. She is a monthly contributor to Masticadores USA and Spillwords Press. She was originally from New Delhi and now resides in California with her husband and two daughters. Read More