Did you know that your gut informs your brain about what is going on every millisecond of the day? The bi-directional communication between your gut and your brain is called the gut-brain axis.
These communication channels between your gut and your brain include hormones, your immune system and your nervous system. There are nerves that run all the way from our brain to our gut!
Always on The Go?
If you are running on overdrive, stressed or rarely stop to smell the roses it is possible that your sympathetic nervous system is on high alert. Your sympathetic nervous system is part of the pathway for communication between your gut and your brain. An overactive sympathetic nervous system increases gut inflammation and intestinal permeability, disrupting your gut microbiome and wellbeing.
Your Gut and Brain Are in Constant Conversation—And Stress Interrupts the Signal
Ever had a “nervous poo” before a big meeting? Or felt your stomach tie itself in knots when life gets overwhelming?
That’s your gut–brain axis in action.
The gut and brain are deeply interconnected via the vagus nerve and a complex network of nerves, hormones, and immune signals. This system, often called the second brain, explains why emotional stress can quickly show up as physical gut symptoms—like bloating, diarrhea, constipation, or nausea.
But the effects go beyond digestive discomfort.
High Stress = Gut Disruption = Hormone Chaos
When stress becomes chronic, it impacts the autonomic nervous system, shifting us into a prolonged “fight-or-flight” state. This affects digestion, reduces gut motility, and increases intestinal permeability (also known as "leaky gut").
When the gut barrier is compromised:
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Inflammation rises systemically
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Oxidative stress increases
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Hormonal signaling is disrupted
For women, this matters profoundly, impacting health from disrupted fertility, weight gain and brain fog to increased disease risk.
Recurrent pregnancy loss has also been associated with an increase in sympathetic nervous system activation [1, 2].
Nervous System Balance
Strategies to dampen sympathetic nervous system outflow include nurturing a healthy, diverse gut microbiome. Just as your brain talks to our gut, your gut talks to your brain.
Remodelling the beneficial populations in your gut benefits the production of neurotransmitters, immune surveillance, and vagus nerve activation, helping to reduce anxiety.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve extends from the base of your brain to your abdominal region and acts as a superhighway for signals relating to hunger, metabolism, digestion and inflammation.
Almost 90% of signals using the vagus nerve travel from the gut to the brain, with only 10% of signals travelling from your brain to the gut. Your brain needs your gut more than your gut needs your brain!
Our vagus nerve is a component of our parasympathetic nervous system, the one that helps us ‘rest and digest’. Your parasympathetic nervous system increases calm, reduces intestinal permeability and lowers inflammation – all benefitting our wellbeing!
Stimulating the Vagus Nerve for Female Wellbeing
As the vagus nerve plays a key role in calming the nervous system and managing stress, it's no surprise that stimulating it has wide-reaching benefits for mental clarity, digestion, energy, and emotional balance.
Ready to get your vagus nerve going? Try some of these simple, science-backed activities that help modulate vagal tone:
🔸 Loud gargling with water
🔸 Singing out loud
🔸 Deep, slow breathing
🔸 Positive social connections
🔸 Prebiotics
Prebiotics Balance the Gut-Brain Axis
Prebiotics like Fertile Gut’s Microbiome Essentials and synbiotic combinations support the vagus nerve, and the bi-directional communication between our gut and brain.
Ever wondered you might feel instant calm as you savour your delicious synbiotic Cacao Latte? It’s your microbes letting your vagus nerve know that you are nurturing your wellbeing!
References
1. Yun, A.J., K.A. Bazar, and P.Y. Lee, Med Hypotheses, 2004. 63(1): p. 172-7.
2. Kataoka, K., et al., J Obstet Gynaecol Res, 2015. 41(6): p. 912-8.
3.Tunapong, W., et al., Eur J Nutr, 2018. 57(6): p. 2091-2104.
