In happier times, LeBron James recalled: "Warren Buffett told me to always follow your gut ... When you have that gut feeling, you have to go with it."

But if you're bugged by some unpleasant gut feelings, physically and emotionally, we bet you want them to go away.

Ten to 15 percent of American adults experience persistent intestinal distress associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) caused by an imbalance of bacteria in their guts.

A new study demonstrates that when the microbes in the gut are out of balance, it can affect both digestion and emotional equilibrium.

Researchers at McMaster University found that twice as many adults with IBS reported improvements from co-existing depression when they took the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001, as did adults with IBS who took a placebo.

The researchers also did imaging that showed that post-probiotic improvement in depression was associated with changes in the areas of the brain that control mood.

This gut microbiome-brain axis connects your body's central nervous system — the brain and spinal cord — with the enteric nervous system in your gastrointestinal tract. The microbiome acts as a middleman between the brain and the gut, helping shuttle hormones, nerve messages, and immune system info along the axis.

If you have IBS, try stress-busting techniques like meditation. Also take probiotics and try keeping a diary of your diet to help you dodge foods triggering symptoms.