While you may not be able to control your birth mode or potential genetic factors that influence gut health and autoimmunity, your lifestyle can have a profound effect on your gut and contribute to autoimmunity. “Stress and anxiety , as well as what we eat, can affect the composition of the gut bacteria. Sleep loss can also lead to changes in the microbiome and promote gut inflammation,” Dr. Safdieh says. “Stress has an impact on the microbes within our guts, and the balance of microbes has an effect on our moods. That’s because 75 percent of our neurotransmitters are made within the gut."
This includes serotonin, which plays a role in happiness, Dr. Safdieh says, so it has a big impact on mental health. A large cohort June 2018 study in JAMA showed that patients with stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder, have an increased risk of autoimmune disease. It’s believed that trauma and significant life stressors can disrupt the nervous system, which can dysregulate immune function and manifest as an autoimmune disease. The study also found that among patients with PTSD, those who persistently used SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) during the first year after diagnosis was associated with a risk of autoimmune disease. This circles back to the idea that certain drugs and medications may trigger autoimmunity.
Tiffany Ayuda is a New York City-based editor and writer passionate about fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness. She has held previous editorial roles at Prevention, Eat This, Not That, Daily Burn, and Everyday Health. Tiffany is also a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise. When she's not writing or breaking up a sweat, Tiffany enjoys cooking up healthy meals in her Brooklyn kitchen.
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