According to an article by Science Daily one third of people will suffer from anxiety at some point in their life.

Harvard health has several articles about the gut brain connection. Here’s an excerpt from one of the articles.

“The brain has a direct effect on the stomach and intestines. For example, the very thought of eating can release the stomach’s juices before food gets there. This connection goes both ways. A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person’s stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That’s because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected.”

Studies show that some anxiety can be alleviated by regulating gut bacteria.

One study cited by Science Daily says participants changed their diet by eliminating all processed foods and sticking to a whole food. With the diet changes some also took probiotics to regulate the gut biome and had great results in eliminating anxiety.

There are also many studies on the benefits of exercise to eliminate anxiety.

“The positive effects of exercise training on mental health are well established; however, the majority of this knowledge is based on studies involving aerobic based training,”RET (resistance exercise training) significantly reduced anxiety in both healthy participants and those with a physical or mental illness, and the effect size of these reductions is comparable to that of frontline treatments such as medication and psychotherapy,” RET is a low-cost behavior with minimal risk, and can be an effective tool to reduce anxiety for healthy and ill alike.”-Reuters

So before you decide to go on medication for anxiety maybe making a few changes in your lifestyle might be worth a try first

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