New study says gut and brain are linked

BOSTON - A new study supports the long-held belief that the gut and the brain are linked.

Researchers in Tokyo studied mice and found that the animals exposed to repeated emotional stress exhibited symptoms similar to irritable bowel syndrome, with abdominal cramps and diarrhea. The gastrointestinal effects lasted for at least a month. They did not notice the same changes when the mice were subjected to physical stress.

This research may help explain why patients with major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder often suffer from GI distress.