Gut feeling: Your stress is linked to your microbiome, scientists say

Vienna-based doctors believe that "biological mechanisms" based on gut bacteria and intake of fibre could be used to help manage stress and related conditions.

"Higher microbial diversity was associated with stronger hormonal and subjectively perceived stress reactivity," according to the team, whose research was published in the June 2026 edition of the medical journal Neurobiology of Stress.

The findings illustrate how targeted diets could be used to help individuals better manage stress by improving their body's microbiome.

The researchers at the University of Vienna said they had found indications that the acids in the gut microbiome could play a role in the development of new ways to deal with stress.

While prior research has hinted that the gut health level can change a person's stress response, it was not clear if differences in the gut affected the outcome.

But these latest findings suggest a potential way to address acute stress is with "long-term targeted modulation of gut microbial composition and its metabolites, particularly short-chain fatty acids."

The acids in question are generated from the digestive fermentation of usually fibre-rich food. Regarded as crucial to gut and overall health, they have been linked to reduced likelihood of obesity and diabetes.

In early 2025, a team of Singapore-based scientists reported finding a "crucial connection between gut microbes and anxiety-related behaviour," with probiotics cited as a possible remedy.

Published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, the findings suggest that microbial metabolites called indoles, which are produced by gut microbes, "play a direct role in regulating brain activity linked to anxiety."