Five Surprising Ways Your Gut Can Influence Your Brain

Influence on Stress Response

Our microbial allies are not only potentially capable of tweaking our mood but also our responses to stress. Studies have shown how the gut microbiota can directly interact with the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis—the chief stress response system in humans. Certain bacteria can downregulate the HPA axis, thereby potentially reducing stress and related disorders.