Meditation Is Effective In Treating Intestinal Inflammation

Dr. Michelle Dossett, a researcher at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Harvard University, says that integrative medicine tools such as meditation, mindfulness, breathing exercises, yoga, and hypnotherapy do not they only decrease anxiety but improve symptoms of intestinal inflammation through the “mind-gut axis”.

All body systems are interconnected, also the brain and the gut. And communication goes both ways. The type of diet can positively or negatively affect mood, but thoughts and emotions also affect the gut.

This is the connection between brain and intestine

How is the connection between the brain and the gut? The brain sends signals to the digestive tract through the sympathetic (“excitement, fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“relax, rest, and digest”) nervous systems.

The balance between these two types of signals affects the rate at which food moves through the digestive system, the absorption of nutrients, the secretion of digestive juices, and the level of inflammation.

The digestive system has its own nervous system, the enteric nervous system, which consists of about 100 million neurons. This system, known as the “second brain” or “gut brain” receives messages from the first brain, but can function independently of it. It is also intimately interconnected with millions of immune cells that transmit information to it.

Effect of negative emotions on the intestine

Due to this intense brain-gut connection, stress and other negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, depression, fear, and anger can affect the digestive system in several ways:

• They can speed up or slow down the movements of the gastro-intestinal tract .
• They can make the digestive system overly sensitive to bloating and other pain signals.
• They help bacteria cross the intestinal lining and activate the immune system.
• They increase inflammation in the intestine.
• And they modify the gut microbiota (the types of bacteria that reside in the gut).

That is why stress and strong emotions can trigger or worsen a variety of gastrointestinal conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). and food allergies and sensitivities.

In turn, digestive disorders can have profound effects on the entire body, contributing to fatigue, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

Complementary therapies to treat digestive disorders

According to Dr. Michelle Dossett, several clinical trials have shown that meditation and techniques based on mindfulness and stress reduction can significantly reduce abdominal pain and improve bowel habits.

To be most effective, these disciplines should be practiced daily, as they work as a training for the nervous system and reduce the effect of stress. Getting results requires learning the techniques and practicing them regularly.

To learn them, you can use books, online tutorials, computer applications and personal courses that are held in private and health centers.

Gut-directed hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and yoga may also be effective, although there are fewer studies on their effectiveness in these cases.