If you’ve ever had butterflies in your stomach, or had a stomach twisting experience then you are probably not surprised to learn how sensitive to emotion the gastrointestinal tract is to emotion.

Whether you are dealing with feelings of excitement, anger, anxiety or sadness- those emotions can trigger gut symptoms. Scientific American looked at this link ahead of the Olympics, and just how big a part it plays in gut health.

You know that the thought of eating can start the juices flowing in your stomach before food arrives, that’s because the brain directly impacts the stomach. It goes both ways, an intestine in distress can signals to the brain just as the other way around. They are intimately connected, the brain and the gastrointestinal system, moreover intestinal distress can be the product of anxiety and depression, or the cause of it.

In the case of someone who has never experienced a gastrointestinal issue, or there is no physical cause behind it. You cannot deal with a gut in distress without considering the potential role of emotion and stress.

Now that you understand just how closely the two interact you begin to understand why you would suddenly feel nauseous before giving a presentation, or why you would suddenly feel intestinal pain when you’re under stress.

Your psychological state can have a direct impact on the symptoms of your gut. There is additional evidence suggested that people with gastrointestinal disorders experience pain more acutely as their brains don’t regulate the pain correctly from the GI tract.

Doctors have been using antidepressants and cognitive behavioural therapy to treat the symptoms related to irritable bowel syndrome, which are treatments generally used for anxiety disorders and depression. While there has been success with those methods, there are more natural methods that can be employed.

Two incredibly effective ways to manage your gut health are ancient techniques that have been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.

Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel Tea as well as Triphala.

Triphala is made up of three “fruits” and the herbal capsule contains Haritaki, Bibhitaki, and Amalaki. The rinds of the fruits are ground into a find powder and combined in equal measure to provide healing properties to your gastrointestinal tract. Triphala can improve circulation, reduce high blood pressure, improve liver function, as well as improve digestion and it also has excellent anti-inflammatory properties.

Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel Tea is great for detoxing, digestive health, purging toxins, and reducing stomach spasms.

The two treatments combined offer relief from the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, as well as regulating the digestive tract to ensure that any issues with your gastrointestinal tract are avoided in furture.