Your Gut is Your Second Brain
Written By Kim Deschamps | November 9, 2022
Two heads are better than one, right?
Well, you might not have two heads, but it turns out you DO have two brains!
Have you ever been so worried about something that you just couldn’t eat?
Have you felt fluttery in your stomach when you were nervous about a test result or a performance review at work?
These are two small examples of the connection between your brain and ‘second brain’, your gut.
If you read last week’s blog, you might have noticed the mention of a second brain. Today we’re going to take a deeper dive into the concept. As life has no doubt already taught you, your gut responds to emotions, and intestinal or digestive issues can be the result of stress – or the cause of it. Because the connection between your brain and your gut goes both ways.
Your gut actually houses the enteric nervous system, a complex web of neurons and nerves that span your gastrointestinal tract. The brain and the gut communicate in a number of ways, through the vagus nerve and through the microbes that reside in the lining of the intestines, where they connect with nerve and immune cells.
Your gut works tirelessly to catalog your intake of nutrients through what you eat and drink while it monitors hormone levels and the state of your immune system. It very generously shares this wealth of information with your brain. Roughly 80 to 90 percent of the data that runs between the brain and the gut is going upwards, keeping your brain apprised of how the rest of your body is functioning.
What about the other 10 to 20 percent of information that starts in the brain and heads south to the gut? These are brain signals like stress transmitters like can lower your appetite or make your stomach feel fluttery. Your gut is responsible for producing the vast majority of serotonin, which can impact your mood, sex drive, sleep, and more. If that gets out of balance, it can have a big impact on your mental health.
Our brains rely on a healthy gut to function properly (as do our immune systems). In addition to serotonin, bacteria in our gut are responsible for secreting more than 30 distinct neurotransmitters, like norepinephrine, which plays a role in our “fight or flight” response; dopamine, which impacts executive function like learning and attention; and acetylcholine, which is important in muscle control; among others.
Research has even shown that serious neurological conditions, like schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease have a correlation with inflation caused by – or causing - gastrointestinal issues and altered gut microbiomes.
It quickly becomes apparent that there is a quid pro quo between the gut and the brain. They rely on each other equally, and to care for one is to care for the other. When your mental health is suffering, take a closer look at your gut. And when digestive issues flare up, consider whether stress, anxiety, or anger might be sending signals that have a negative impact on your gut.
And just like you might visit a psychologist, counselor, or social worker when you have concerns about your mental health, consider making an appointment with a Naturopathic Medicine professional if you have questions about your gut health. Your brain and your second brain will both thank you.
Kim Deschamps
MPT, BKin, PYT, BDN