THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION
Something else that I find fascinating relating to brain health.
The human gut is often referred to as the SECOND BRAIN. It has its own independent nervous system. 70% of our immune system resides there. 90% of serotonin (which regulates mood) is
produced in the gut. This often surprises people.
And this is the really interesting reason why! (I learned this from Dr Uma Naidoo.) The gut and brain arise from the exact same cells when our bodies are forming in the embryo. So even though the gut and brain are far apart in the body, they are made from the same cells. They are connected by the Vagus nerve, which acts as a 2-way super-highway channeling messages back and forth between the
gut and brain.
Ever wake up in the early hours with a sense of dread in the pit of your stomach? Trace it back to a fearful thought – about the past or the future – every time. Butterflies in your stomach when you are anticipating something exciting? Or sick to your stomach at some awful news? This is known as the Gut-Brain Axis. What happens in the gut affects the brain and vice versa.