Have you ever heard of "gut talk"? Or do you feel like you have "butterflies in your stomach" when something good is about to happen? Similarly, when something difficult happens, you say "your stomach is going to leave you." All of this is actually due to the amazing connection between our brain and our gut, or digestive system. These two are constantly talking to each other.
Why is there such a strong connection between the gut and the brain?
Think of it this way: our brain and our gut are like best friends . They talk to each other all the time. They exchange messages not only about what we eat and drink, but also about our feelings of happiness, sadness, and fear. In fact, more information is exchanged between our brain and gut than any other system in our body. Isn’t that amazing? Our gut, or digestive system, is said to have the largest number of nerve cells outside the brain.
So, why is there such a big connection between these two? Simply put, it's designed to help us survive. You know how important the food we eat is to our entire body. Since ancient times, people have had access to a variety of foods. So, our bodies needed a good ``alarm system`` to make sure they were getting the right nutrition, to quickly recognize when we ate something wrong, or to stop digestion for a while.
This "bell system" also involves the part of our brain that controls emotions. Think about it, when something bad happens to you, it stores a memory in your mind to make sure it doesn't happen again. Similarly, emotions can make our gut sensations more intense. And, strong gut sensations can increase our stress and emotional responses. It's like a back-and-forth cycle, especially between the brain and the gut.
What kind of things does this relationship affect in our bodies?
Now let's see what kind of things this gut-brain conversation affects in our bodies. Research suggests that this connection affects the following:
- Hunger and satiety
- Food preferences and cravings
- Food sensitivities and intolerances
- Gut motility
- Digestion
- Metabolism
- Mood
- Behavior
- Stress levels
- Pain sensitivity
- Things like thinking ability and attention (`Cognitive function`)
- Immunity
What systems are involved in this gut-brain connection?
When doctors talk about this gut-brain connection, they call it the gut-brain axis . It's like a network of nerves that connects the brain and the gut, carrying messages back and forth. However, this nervous system doesn't work alone. It works closely with our endocrine system, which produces hormones (these hormones tell us when we're hungry, full, and stressed), and with our immune system (which responds to infections or injuries in the gut).
Within this network, there are several people who play a key role in the gut-brain connection:
A little brain in the gut - the Enteric Nervous System (ENS)
Did you know that inside our digestive system (`Gastrointestinal (GI) tract`), there is a separate nervous system that controls its digestive functions. It is called the `Enteric Nervous System` (`ENS`) . It has more than 500 million nerve cells! That means, this is the most complex nervous system outside of our brain. Another special feature of this is that it can work independently of our brain and the main central nervous system (`central nervous system`). For this reason, some scientists also call it the ``second brain`` .
The ENS is actually a special part of the autonomic nervous system that controls the involuntary activities of our internal organs. While it works as part of the overall autonomic nervous system, it also works independently. That is, it can collect information about conditions inside the gut, process that information there, and respond without sending it to the brain.
Main communication pathway - Vagus Nerve
The main link between the nervous system (ENS) in the gut and our brain is the vagus nerve . This is one of the 12 cranial nerves that start in our skull (cranium), travel down the body, and branch out along the way. The vagus nerve carries sensory information about the conditions inside the gut from the ENS to the brain. In response, this same nerve carries motor signals from the brain to the gut.
When conditions in the gut change, for example, chemical changes or the arrival of food, there are various reflexes that are activated in the gut in response. These are called vagal reflexes. Some of these are activated within the ENS without involving the brain (intrinsic vagal reflexes). Others are activated by communication between the ENS and the central nervous system (extrinsic reflexes).
The little friends in our gut - the gut microbiome
This may come as a surprise to you. The bacteria that live in our gut are also involved in this gut-brain connection! Yes, these gut microbes produce, or help produce, many of the chemical messengers (`neurotransmitters`) that carry messages between the gut and the brain. Not only that, they also produce other chemicals that can affect the brain through our blood. On the other hand, our brain and gut can change the environment in which these microbes live, influencing their community (the `gut microbiome`).
Recent research has shown that this combination of gut microbes may be linked to various neurological diseases, mental health problems, and functional gastrointestinal disorders.
These functional disorders are conditions where symptoms persist but no clear physical cause can be found. For example, there is a large overlap between people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and those with mental health problems such as anxiety.
What diseases can be associated with the gut-brain axis?
So, if this gut-brain axis is not working properly, or if there is something wrong with it, what kind of diseases or symptoms can occur? Check out this list:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and functional constipation or diarrhea
- Mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression
- Noncardiac chest pain
- Infant colic
- Functional dyspepsia
- Functional dysphagia
- Stomach muscle dysfunction (Gastroparesis)
- Anus muscle problem (`Anismus`)
- Chronic stress
- Chronic fatigue
- Chronic pain
- Visceral hypersensitivity
- Obesity
- Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism
- Neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease
- Nerve-related pain disorders such as multiple sclerosis
How do doctors treat conditions like this?
How do doctors treat conditions that seem to involve both the gut and the brain? In fact, doctors are now starting to look at the microbes in your gut (the ``gut microbiome``) when treating these conditions.
How to treat gut microbes
Animal studies have shown that having a healthy, diverse community of microbes (`microbiota`) in the gut can help reduce symptoms of gastrointestinal, neurological, inflammatory, and psychological disorders. The results are still mixed on how this might work in humans, but they are intriguing. Here are some ways to treat these gut microbes:
- Probiotics : These are the good bacteria found in things like yogurt and fermented foods.
- Antibiotics : Sometimes kill bad bacteria.
- Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) : This is a relatively new method. It involves introducing good bacteria from the feces of a healthy person into the intestines of a sick person.
Mind-body therapy
Also, people with some functional gastrointestinal disorders may benefit from mind-body therapy with a behavioral medicine specialist. These therapies can help reduce persistent gastrointestinal symptoms, or at least help you learn to cope with them. They can also help reduce your overall mood and stress. This can indirectly be good for your gut. Some of these therapies include:
- Relaxation therapy : This involves using various techniques to help you relax and reduce your natural stress response. For example, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and calming music. Research suggests that these techniques are most effective when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) : The goal of this therapy is to help people with gastrointestinal disorders change their thoughts, behaviors, and emotional responses to physical pain, as well as mental/emotional stress and anxiety.
- Gut-directed relaxation training : This is deep relaxation combined with positive suggestions about gastrointestinal function. For example, placing your hands on your stomach, feeling a warm sensation, and imagining that you can control your bowel movements. This method can be helpful for people who experience symptoms without obvious stress.
- Biofeedback : This treatment teaches a person how to control their body's natural responses. For example, learning to control your heart rate or body temperature with the help of an electronic device. Research has shown that biofeedback, when combined with other stress and symptom management techniques, has produced positive health outcomes for people with active gastrointestinal diseases.
What can we do to maintain this gut-brain connection at home?
So, what can we do at home to maintain this all-important gut-brain axis?
The best way to take care of your gut health on a daily basis – and your brain health as a result – is to eat a healthy, balanced diet . Another way to take care of your brain health – and perhaps your gut health as well – is to manage your stress as best you can. You can also look into ways to manage stress during stressful times, as well as ways to reduce stress in your daily life.
What kind of food and drink is good for this?
A good rule of thumb for naturally improving your gut health is to eat a variety of whole foods , especially fruits and vegetables . The more diverse your diet, the more diverse your gut microbiome will be. That’s great for your overall gut health. Whole foods and plants have more nutrition per calorie than processed foods. That means less room for unhealthy additives, sweeteners, and saturated fats. Instead, we get things like:
- Soluble and insoluble fiber : Many plants contain both types of fiber. These help regulate our bowel movements and also provide food for the beneficial microbes (microbiota) in our gut. These microbes, in turn, nourish the lining of our intestines.
- Prebiotics and probiotics : Probiotics are live bacteria found in fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut. Prebiotics are the types of fiber and complex starches that these bacteria like to eat.
- Antioxidants : These antioxidants, found naturally in various fruits and vegetables, help fight free radicals in our bodies and prevent inflammation. Different foods contain different types of antioxidants.
- Anti-inflammatory foods : A whole-food, plant-based diet naturally reduces inflammation because it is low in sugar, additives, and cholesterol. This helps keep the microbes in our gut happy.
In short, what to remember
Your gut and brain are like two very close friends, constantly communicating through nerve and chemical signals. They are so close that each can feel the pain of the other. If you have a condition that affects either your digestive system or your nervous system, it is likely that the other system is also involved. Doctors now look at these conditions from both sides of the gut-brain axis. You can do the same by taking care of your mental health as well as your gut health. Because the two are connected!
` Gut-brain connection, digestive system, mental health, nervous system, microbiome, nutrition, stress
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