WHY DIGESTION BEGINS IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, NOT THE STOMACH

Written By Kristen Lum

If changing your diet has not resolved your digestive symptoms, this may not be a food problem. It may be a nervous system problem.

Digestion does not begin in the stomach. It begins in the state of the body.

When the nervous system perceives stress, conflict, urgency, grief, or emotional overwhelm, the body shifts into survival mode. In that state, digestion is not prioritized. The body is focused on protection.

This is one of the most overlooked reasons people experience bloating, irregular stools, nausea, food sensitivities, or digestive symptoms that feel unpredictable. Even when food choices remain consistent, symptoms often worsen during stressful periods.

What Happens to Digestion Under Stress

When the body is in a fight-or-flight state, digestion becomes inefficient.

Common physiological changes include:

  • Decreased stomach acid

  • Reduced activation of digestive enzymes

  • Blood flow redirected away from the gastrointestinal tract

In this state, the body is preparing for survival, not assimilation. Food may be eaten, but it is not fully processed.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, this is expected. Digestion has always been understood as dependent on rhythm, internal regulation, and emotional state. Food quality matters, but state comes first.

This framework helps explain why digestive symptoms often flare during life transitions, emotional strain, or prolonged stress, even when diet does not change.

Start With State Before Strategy

Before adding another supplement or eliminating more foods, it can be helpful to start with a simpler question:

Is my body calm enough to digest?

Small practices that support nervous system regulation can make a meaningful difference:

  • Sitting down to eat

  • Avoiding screens or stimulation during meals

  • Not eating during arguments or emotional distress

  • Sipping fluids 30 minutes before meals or 1 hour after eating

  • Taking a few slow breaths before the first bite

These are not minor habits. They are signals of safety to the nervous system.

Healing does not begin by forcing the body to digest. It begins by creating the conditions where the body feels safe enough to function as designed.

Kristen Lum
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HOW TRAUMA AND CHRONIC STRESS DISRUPT DIGESTION THROUGH THE GUT–BRAIN AXIS