Is Poor Gut Health Making You Anxious?
You’ve done the therapy. You’ve tried the supplements. You might even have a meditation app buried somewhere on your phone. And yet, anxiety still lingers.
What if the missing piece isn’t just in your mind… but in your gut?
We now know that the gut and brain are in constant communication through what’s known as the gut–brain axis. This means your digestive system doesn’t just process food, it plays a key role in your mood, mental clarity, and emotional regulation.
How Gut Health Impacts Anxiety
Inside your gut lives your microbiome, a complex community of microbes that influence everything from immune health to hormone balance and even your brain chemistry. An imbalance in the gut can lead to:
Increased inflammation
Poor nutrient absorption (think magnesium, B12, iron - all crucial for mood)
Over-activation of your stress response
Disruption in serotonin production (around 90% of your serotonin is made in your gut!)
All of these factors can contribute to heightened anxiety, irritability, and emotional overwhelm.
But here’s the good news - your gut can heal.
And when it does, your mind begins to settle too.
Signs Your Gut Might Be Impacting Your Anxiety
Frequent bloating, discomfort, or irregular bowel movements
Food sensitivities that seem to change day to day
Fatigue and brain fog alongside anxious thoughts
Feeling “on edge” or fatigued after eating, or constant underlying tension
What You Can Do to Support Your Gut–Mind Connection
As a Naturopath and Hypnotherapist, this is one of the first places I explore with clients. Some of the most powerful steps you can take include:
Start with food: Focus on whole, anti-inflammatory meals with enough protein and colour
Consider testing, not guessing: Functional stool testing can offer deep insight into what’s happening in your gut
Address nervous system regulation: Breathwork, mindfulness, and hypnotherapy can help downshift your fight-or-flight response so your gut can actually digest and repair
Support the microbiome: Through tailored nutrition, herbal medicine, and if appropriate, targeted probiotics
You don’t have to choose between mental and physical health.
The body and mind are deeply connected, and your anxiety may be rooted in a very real, very treatable gut imbalance.
If you’ve been doing all the “right” things and still feel stuck, it might be time to look deeper into your gut health. Your microbiome could be holding the answers your mind has been searching for.
