Woken up with a stomach ache? This could be why (2024)

Bloating, constipation, stomach ache… We’ve probably all experienced at least one of these unpleasant symptoms when feeling stressed or anxious.

But why does it happen and is there anything we can do about it?

Well, the reason behind stress-related stomach issues is unsurprisingly all to do with the link between our gut and our brain – known as the gut-brain axis. It’s a two-way relationship between the nerve cells in the gastrointestinal tract (aka the enteric nervous system) and the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system).

It means that not only can your mood have an impact on your body, but your body and what you put into it, can in turn, have an impact on your mood.

There’s no denying that the relationship between food and mental health is complex, but one thing is clear: what we eat matters.

As Signe Svanfeldt, the lead nutritionist at Lifesum points out, ‘no single food item will have a radical impact on our mental health’ but she does claim that certain nutrients in our food can impact our mental health for the better or worse.

And this is something doctors agree with as well.

Dr Harpal Bains, a longevity doctor and medical director at the Harpal Clinic, explained to Metro.co.uk: ‘All of our cells require many nutrients to fulfil their functions. The best way to think about it is like a lock and key – the nutrient being the key and the cell’s next action being the lock.

‘Without the right key (or nutrient) the lock will not turn and the next process in line will be stuck, unable to be fulfilled.’

There are many different nutrients that are required for optimal brain function and cellular support.

‘Some key nutrients to focus on are B vitamins – such as B12, B9 and B6, magnesium, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and choline,’ says Dr Harpal.

‘By eating a diet high in whole foods you will be intaking a good amount of all of these nutrients. Aim for 20 to 30 different plant based foods per week. Buying a veg box with items in it you would not typically buy is a great way to branch out from routinely used vegetables.’

Which foods are most beneficial for our mental health?

As well as fruit and vegetables, Dr Bains claims that foods high in ‘healthy fats’ are ‘critical,’ as they’ll help to balance our blood sugar responses.

This is important because when our blood sugar, or glycemic levels are low, we might experience symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, and reduced cognitive function. You might also find yourself feeling rather tired and lacking in energy.

To combat this, she recommends adding adequate portions of avocado, fatty fish (like salmon, trout, and tuna), nuts, olive oil, chia seeds, and flax seeds to your meals.

‘Improving intake of these foods will not only help to balance blood sugar responses, but they also contain important fats that are integral for cell membrane function and lowering inflammation – both of which have been linked to many mental health related conditions.’

The expert also advises implementing fermented foods into your diet, such as kefir, kombucha, kimchi, apple cider vinegar and sauerkraut, as these can help support a healthy gut microbiota profile.

‘Our gut microbiota is an interesting area of discussion,’ the doctor says. ‘It is quite widely accepted that many neurological conditions have an inflammatory component to them. This is important because the gut microbiota has been linked to the regulation of both the innate and adaptive immune response – both inside the gut as well as in other places of the body including the brain.’

She adds: ‘If you are new to fermented foods, begin by adding only a small portion per day and build this up if you don’t react to it. Frequent intake of fermented foods has been shown in studies to be beneficial for those with mental health conditions, specifically depression and anxiety.’

And Dr Bains isn’t the only one who recommends giving fermented foods a go. Signe also praises them for helping ‘enhance stress resilience’. In addition to the ones the doctor listed, she also recommends sourdough bread.

The nutritionist claims prebiotics can also have a positive impact on our mental health, by ‘reducing inflammation in the body and making more available neurotransmitters like serotonin, a “happy hormone” that regulates mood and reduces symptoms of stress and anxiety’.

Examples of these include vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and carrots, whole grains such as oats, quinoa and brown rice, as well as legumes like beans, lentils and chickpeas.

And when it comes to fruit, Signe recommends opting for ‘polyphenols’ which promote healthy blood flow to the brain. Good sources of these include apples, grapes, and kiwi.

Blueberries are also a great addition to your diet, according to Dr Bains, and it doesn’t matter whether you want to buy fresh or frozen ones, as they’ll be beneficial either way.

She says: ‘High in antioxidants, blueberries are considered a top food to support general brain health as well as mental health.

‘Berries can be quite costly to buy fresh, so you may wish to look at the frozen options which are equally as good. Berries in general also have a low glycemic index, making them the perfect sweet addition to a smoothie.’

Which foods are likely to negatively impact our mental health?

We’ve heard all about the helpful foods, but there are probably some on the flipside that we should try and avoid consuming too much of.

Signe warns against a diet that’s high in sugar, and Dr Bains seconds this, but claims synthetic sugars can be equally as troubling for us.

‘Synthetic sugars such as aspartame or sucralose have been shown to disrupt gut barrier function by increasing barrier permeability,’ she tells Metro.

These ingredients are commonly found in ‘sugar-free’ sweet foods and ‘diet’ drinks, such as Diet co*ke, Diet Pepsi, Dr Pepper Zero, and Müller Light yogurts.

So what happens if we consume too many of these products?

According to Dr Bains, our gut barrier is important because it helps the body to regulate what is entering the body.

She continues: ‘Having gut barrier permeability results in increased inflammation in the body which may exacerbate feelings of depression and anxiety. Foods high in refined sugars are also not ideal to consume, particularly if you are looking to address mental health. Increases in dietary sugar have been shown to be closely correlated with depression.’

And while we all know just how bad ultra-processed foods are and what they really do to our body, it’s still worth giving everyone a reminder here.

In this context, processed foods are likely to be low in those all-important nutrients that our brains require.

Dr Bains warns: ‘If we are filling up our plates with foods that have a low nutrient count, this may mean that we are not meeting our daily quota for much needed micronutrients. The lack of adequate micronutrients can exacerbate mental health conditions, as cellular function is impacted.’

But it’s not just food that has a key role here, as Signe says there are several drinks that could have a negative impact on your mental health as well.

Alcohol is the obvious one, as it’s a known depressant, which, as mentalhealth.org.uk explains, ‘can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in your brain and affect your feelings, thoughts and behaviour.

Drinking too much can also affect your sleep, which won’t set you up to feel very good the next day.

The expert continues to state that 400mg of caffeine is generally considered safe to consume, but ‘exceeding your own individual tolerance level of caffeine’, could make you feel anxious and increase your risk of unpleasant symptoms such as restlessness, increased heartbeat, dizziness and nausea.

As food plays such a crucial role in our mood, Dr Bains also recommends giving gut-related testing a go if you’re still struggling after switching up your diet.

She adds: ‘Once we get the fundamentals right by regulating blood sugar, improving the intake of good quality fats, protein and overall nutrient content of our food, reducing processed foods and sugars, then we can begin to think about which other actionable steps we can take to complement these foundations.

‘Gut-related testing also holds an important place. Given the increasing evidence that our gut health can play a role in our mental health, it may be worth completing a food inflammation and gut barrier function blood test if you are suffering from poor mental health.

‘Although you may not be having anaphylactic reactions to food, you could still be eating foods that are sub-optimal, resulting in inflammation in the gut which might be translated to other areas of the body including the brain. Completing a gut barrier function test is a good way to see if you have compromised function, and which foods may not be currently agreeable with you.’

However, as we’ve heard already, no food is going to fix all of our problems, so if you are struggling with your mental health, please do speak to someone and seek help.

For more information on local services and how to get the support you need, visit nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/ or mind.org.uk

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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