Thiamine: A quiet player in gut function
Thiamine (vitamin B1) is essential for turning the carbohydrates you eat into energy, particularly in cells with high energy demand like those in the nervous system and gut. Low thiamine can disrupt nerve signalling, weaken the gut barrier, and contribute to fatigue, brain fog, and digestive discomfort in susceptible people.
Researchers are now exploring how thiamine status interacts with the gut microbiome, inflammation, and motility, especially in conditions such as IBS, IBD and SIBO. While it is too early to recommend high‑dose thiamine as a universal treatment, it is clear that maintaining adequate levels is an important foundation for gut and overall health.
What recent studies are showing
Recent studies have highlighted several ways thiamine may influence gut‑related issues.
Inflammation and IBD: Experimental work suggests thiamine deficiency can worsen intestinal inflammation, while adequate thiamine helps regulate immune responses in the gut. Small human studies in inflammatory bowel disease show that high‑dose thiamine can significantly reduce severe fatigue, and some participants also report less bloating and abdominal discomfort.
Microbiome and gut barrier: Bacteria in the gut both produce and consume thiamine, and changes in thiamine availability can shift the balance of the microbiome. In animal models, higher thiamine intake has improved the integrity of the intestinal barrier and reduced “leaky gut”–associated inflammation.
Motility and bowel habits: Emerging genetic research links thiamine‑related pathways to stool frequency and gut motility, hinting at a role in how quickly or slowly the bowel moves.
SIBO and surgery: In people with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth after bariatric surgery, overgrowth has been associated with thiamine deficiency, and treating the overgrowth has helped normalise thiamine levels.
These findings are promising, but they sit alongside an important caveat: most of the research is early‑stage, with small trials or animal studies, so thiamine is best thought of as a supportive factor, not a stand‑alone cure.
The brain–gut axis: why hypnosis matters
The gut is densely wired to the brain through the vagus nerve and complex neural networks, often called the brain–gut axis. Stress, anxiety, and unprocessed emotions can amplify gut sensitivity, alter motility, and change how the bowel processes pain signals.
Gut‑focused hypnotherapy works by using targeted suggestions, imagery, and relaxation to calm the nervous system and retrain the brain’s response to gut sensations. Clinical studies show that hypnotherapy can:
Reduce visceral hypersensitivity (how strongly the gut “rings the alarm bell” in response to normal sensations).
Improve motility, gastric emptying, and other aspects of gut function in functional gut disorders.
Lower anxiety and improved coping, which in turn reduces symptom flares and improves quality of life.
This means hypnotherapy complements nutritional and medical strategies, including work on thiamine status, by addressing the regulation of the system rather than only the chemistry.
Evidence for gut‑directed hypnotherapy in IBS and functional gut disorders
Gut‑directed hypnotherapy is one of the best‑researched psychological treatments for IBS and other functional gastrointestinal disorders.
Key findings from clinical research include:
Multiple randomised controlled trials show significant reductions in global IBS symptoms for 70–80% of participants receiving gut‑directed hypnotherapy, often outperforming standard medical care alone.
Improvements are not limited to pain; people often report better bowel habits, less bloating, improved energy, and reduced extra‑intestinal symptoms such as nausea and fatigue.
Benefits are durable, with follow‑up studies showing maintained improvements for many patients months to years after treatment.
Large clinical series from specialist centres report response rates above 75% in patients who had already tried and not responded to conventional IBS treatments.
A recent review notes that gut‑directed hypnosis is now recommended by European and North American gastroenterology guidelines as a treatment option for IBS. In Australia, specialist clinics and programs increasingly integrate gut‑focused hypnotherapy as part of a multidisciplinary approach.
How Hypfocus supports gut health (including IBS)
At Hypfocus in Melbourne, gut‑directed hypnotherapy is offered as a structured, evidence‑informed program to support people living with IBS and other functional gut issues, always alongside appropriate medical care. The focus is on the brain–gut axis, nervous system regulation, and sustainable behaviour change, which sit very comfortably beside emerging research on nutrients like thiamine.
A typical Hypfocus gut‑directed program may help you to:
Calm the nervous system: Deep hypnotic relaxation and tailored suggestions help shift the body out of chronic fight‑or‑flight, reducing the sympathetic overdrive that aggravates pain, urgency, and cramping.
Retrain gut–brain communication: Targeted imagery and metaphors are used to normalise gut function, ease hypersensitivity, and support steadier motility patterns.
Reduce symptom‑related anxiety: Many clients find that fear of symptoms becomes as limiting as the symptoms themselves; hypnotherapy can help reduce anticipatory anxiety and rebuild confidence in daily activities.
Support lifestyle and nutritional changes: Hypnosis is a useful tool for strengthening motivation to follow medical and dietary advice (for example low‑FODMAP or other clinician‑guided nutrition plans), take supplements as prescribed, and make sleep and stress‑management changes that support gut and vitamin status.
Address fatigue and quality of life: Given the link between gut conditions, fatigue and possible micronutrient issues like thiamine, sessions also focus on energy, resilience, and pacing – helping you feel more in control rather than ruled by symptoms.
The Hypfocus GUT‑IBS program is typically delivered across six sessions, a format that aligns with research showing that six structured hypnotherapy sessions can be as effective as longer protocols for many IBS clients. Sessions are tailored to your symptom pattern, health history, and goals, and are designed to integrate with the guidance of your GP, gastroenterologist, or dietitian.
If you are experiencing IBS or other gut‑related issues and are curious about how gut‑directed hypnotherapy could fit into your overall care — including nutritional work such as assessing thiamine and other key nutrients with your medical team — you can learn more or book a free brief consultation via the Hypfocus website.
