Everyone knows your brain sits in your skull, but did you know about your body’s second brain? The second brain is called the Enteric Nervous System and is located in your gut.
There’s a reason that we feel fear in our gut, not in our arms or our ears. Our gut is often called our second brain and with good reason.
The gut-brain axis is like a two-way road of nerves connecting the central nervous system (our brain and spinal cord, controlling thought and movement) with our Enteric Nervous System, a nerve web regulating our gastrointestinal tract.
Diet and Mental Health
Have you ever noticed how many expressions that describe anxiety include the word gut?
For example, “I could feel it in my gut.” Or, “I had a gut feeling that something was wrong.” Or, “My gut was twisted with fear.” And then there’s “Gut-wrenching fear” and “My stomach dropped.”
This association between our gut and our feelings of anxiety and fear may have crept into our language by way of actual, biological fact.
We already have evidence that what we eat and how it affects our gut bacteria can directly impact our mental health. That teeming mass of microorganisms in your gut is a significant player in this connection between the brain and gut. They control the production of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that influence your immune system, metabolic functions, and mental health.
The bacteria Lactobacillus is found naturally in our gut. Many species of this bacteria produce the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is essential in inhibiting brain activity and controlling unwanted thoughts.
People with higher levels of GABA in their brains are more successful at redirecting intrusive thoughts and controlling the anxiety that goes with them.
We know that the various parts of our brain that control our immune, digestive, and nervous systems are not separate paths but a complicated web of functions. So, by maintaining the bacterial environment of our gut, we may be able to control or even prevent debilitating anxiety.
The Nervous System Consists of Two Parts:
- The Central Nervous System, composed of the nerves and ganglia, is located inside the brain and spinal cord.
- The Peripheral Nervous System comprises the nerves and ganglia found outside the Central Nervous System. The Enteric Nervous System is part of this system and is located in your abdomen.
Containing over 600 billion neurons, an amount equal to those found in the Central Nervous System, the Enteric Nervous System is the most significant and most complex part of the Peripheral Nervous System. It uses as many neurotransmitters as the Central Nervous System. For example, fifty percent of the dopamine in your body and over ninety percent of the serotonin in the gut are located in the Enteric Nervous System.
What Does the Enteric Nervous System Do?
The ENS helps control the exchange of fluid, blood flow, and the secretion of proteins, enzymes, and hormones from the gut. It has sensory and motor neurons that react to the presence of food entering your body, releasing the enzymes to help break it down and move it through the GI tract. The ENS feeds back information to the brain about what is happening in your GI tract, including conscious signals of pain, discomfort, and the feeling of hunger and satiety.
The Gut-Brain Connection
Your central nervous system is your brain and spinal cord, while your enteric nervous system is associated with your gastrointestinal tract, stomach, and intestines.
These two systems are directly connected via your vagus nerve. This means that what damages one system can damage the other, and what makes one system healthy makes the other one healthy.
The vagus nerve connection is thought to be why improving your gut bacteria’s health impacts your brain’s health.
Studies have demonstrated this gut-brain connection, going so far as to show that problems in your gut can lead to depression and that repopulating the gut with good bacteria can alleviate stress and anxiety. Eating foods containing beneficial probiotics is vital to nourishing your brain.
The Bacteria That Controls Everything
Our gut’s microbiota (microbe population) is approximately 10¹⁴ microscopic organisms – about 100 trillion. And it’s becoming more evident that these gut “bugs” influence almost every aspect of our health.
These bacteria, viruses, and fungi begin affecting your health as soon as you are born, possibly even earlier. They control your digestion, immune system, and central nervous system.
Research has shown that paying attention to the health of your gut can head off Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, heart disease, and obesity.
Whether or not you experience anxiety, caring for the health of your gut is a good idea. And that means protecting your digestive system.
A Few Natural Ways to Help Keep Your Gut—and Therefore Your Brain—in Top Shape Include:
#1 — Pumping Up Your Probiotics
A 2019 study found that 50 percent of people with ulcerative colitis who took probiotics reported symptom improvement, including stool texture and frequency. This makes sense when considering that probiotics help repopulate the “good” bacteria in your gut to improve your microbiome.
You can increase your probiotic intake through foods like yogurt, miso, or sauerkraut. You can also take a quality probiotic supplement like Flora 50B to supplement your diet.
#2 — Calming the Fire
The first word in IBD is inflammatory. This is because keeping a balanced immune system that can support a healthy immune response and calm low-grade inflammation is so important.
And one of our best formulas is GI Essentials. Over 70 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive tract. So, keeping inflammation down is key to optimal health.
GI Essentials is the most advanced formula today for optimal gastrointestinal health. It has been designed to support gut health, soothe the digestive tract lining, promote regularity and microbial balance, and support proper immune function.
#3 — Eating a Healthy Diet
Finally, as with every health condition, maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise can help keep your gut and brain in optimal condition. Be sure to drink plenty of water, add electrolytes as needed, and avoid any trigger foods that irritate your digestive tract. Keeping a running food log is a great way to pinpoint precisely what is causing you discomfort.
But gut problems also put you at risk of brain problems. And more and more is becoming known every day. But with the tips above, you can be ahead of the curve and make the necessary health changes to support an even healthier gut-brain axis.
To learn more about your second gut and how to make it healthier, get a FREE Consultation with one of our doctors (D.C) here
- Flora 50B contains nine species of microorganisms from non-dairy sources. Because each strain has an affinity for a different part of the digestive tract and a unique mechanism of action, a product that delivers multiple strains is preferable to single-strain products.
- Flora 50B also contains added Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a soluble fiber and prebiotic that selectively supports the proliferation of intestinal probiotics for digestive tract health.
Recommended For:
• Individuals who are lactose intolerant
• Normalizing digestion
• Supporting regularity
• Urologic support
• Immune system support
