The Top 2 Ways to Improve Digestion

I consider fiber to be half the equation when it comes to calming your colon and other parts of your gut. The other half is stress. Gastroenterologists and researchers who study the gut know that it contains the equivalent of a "second brain." This is called the "enteric nervous system," and it contains more neurons than the spinal cord (although far fewer than the brain). Just as your brain acts as the conductor for the rest of your body, this enteric nervous system tells your gut how to behave. So how you feel emotionally becomes intimately tied to how you feel physically.

That's why stress is a common trigger for IBS flares, diarrhea or constipation, heartburn, and, some think, even IBD flares. It's also why studies find that mind/body techniques such as stress management, cognitive therapy, relaxation training and hypnosis are so effective for conditions like IBS. And it's why antidepressants are often prescribed for IBS. Believe it or not, you actually have receptors for serotonin and other mood-related chemicals in your gut, which are acted upon by antidepressants, giving more credence to the gut-as-asecond- brain philosophy.