The thing is, we already know that the brain influences the gut, but this doesn&#x27;t seem to be mentioned. All these hand-wavy press releases seem to be saying it&#x27;s a mystery why IBS is linked to anxiety and depression, and yet there is very good evidence that the HPA axis significantly influences gut motility, absorption and bacteria.<p>As for gut-influencing-brain studies, they seem to be quite problematic. You basically have a scientist looking at a mouse and saying &quot;he&#x27;s running around a bit more than usual&quot;.<p>These studies get upvoted quite often here. It&#x27;s almost as if people don&#x27;t want to take responsibility for their anxiety and depression...