“All Disease begins in the Gut” – Hippocrates
- jillavery
- Feb 19, 2016
- 2 min read
• The human gut is often referred to as the "second brain".
• Every human being has 5 pounds of bacteria in their body.
• Scientists recognize the web of neurons lining the gastrointestinal tract as an independent brain, and a new field of medicine — neurogastroenterology — has been created to study it.
• While many think of their brain as the organ in charge, your gut actually sends far more information to your brain than your brain sends to your gut.
• You've probably experienced the sensation of butterflies in your stomach when you're nervous, or had an upset stomach when you were very angry or stressed.
• The flip side is also true, in that problems in your gut can directly impact your mental health, leading to issues like anxiety and depression.
What Does Gut Bacteria Do?
'Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut. Our study shows that the gut–brain connection is a two-way street.”
Gut bacteria:
• Regulate digestion and metabolism. • Make vitamins from food. • Program the body's immune system. • Build and maintain the gut wall, which protects the body from outside invaders. • Block against harmful bacteria. • Produce chemicals that the brain uses to regulate learning, memory and mood.
“When you consider the gut's ability to communicate with the brain, along with its crucial role in defending the body, it's almost unthinkable that the gut is not playing a critical role in mind states.”
The greatest concentration of serotonin (95%), which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression is found in your intestines, not your brain.
It’s quite possible that this might be one reason why antidepressants, which raise serotonin levels in your brain, are often ineffective in treating depression, whereas proper dietary changes often help.
Experiments with Lab Rats
While harmful bacteria can increase anxiety, several studies have shown that beneficial bacteria can cause anxiety-prone mice to calm down. The probiotics lowered stress-induced hormones, resulting in reduced anxiety and depression-related behavior.
What problems will occur with your gut and brain if your gut is not healthy?
Diabetes Autism Infertility Depression Anxiety Cancer Obesity Eczema Rheumatoid Arthritis Mood swings
What could you be doing to create a healthy gut and brain?
• Cut down on sugar ** • Cut down fast food • Make meals at home. At little garlic, lemon, salt and pepper go a long way! • Probiotics (fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and kim chi) • Juicing • Essential Fatty Acids
