Anxiety and psychological stress significantly alter bowel function and motility
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 86/100
Extensive scientific literature confirms that psychological stress and anxiety significantly impact gastrointestinal physiology, altering bowel motility, barrier function, and visceral sensitivity through the brain-gut axis.
Evidence for · 3
Stress and glucocorticoid receptor transcriptional programming in time and space: Implications for the brain–gut axis
2016 · cited by 55
Highlights that chronic psychological stress perturbs the HPA axis, leading to altered intestinal barrier function and enhanced visceral symptoms.
See more details
More for · 2
The gut–brain axis in irritable bowel syndrome: neuroendocrine and epigenetic pathways
2025 · cited by 8
Discusses how psychological distress and HPA axis overactivation disrupt gut motility and exacerbate intestinal permeability in disorders like IBS.
Lycopene regulates intestinal dysmotility and behavioral disorders by regulating enteric neurons and the cholinergic system.
2025 · cited by 2
Demonstrates a clear link between anxiety-like behaviors, behavioral disorders, and gut dysmotility regulated by the gut-brain axis.