The gut has more nerves than your spinal cord and that's why it's referred to as the "second brain."
If there was ever a reason to improve your digestive health, this is it! Yes, it’s true. Your gut is considered your “second brain.”
There have been new scientific discoveries about the vagus nerve and the enteric nervous system. Researchers have found a connection between gut microbes the brain.
It’s complex, and research is still ongoing, but there seem to be multiple things working together. Things like:
There is a nerve that runs directly from the gut to the brain. 90% of the transmission is from your gut to your brain. Not from the brain to the gut!
The gut has more nerves than your spinal cord and that’s why it’s referred to as the “second brain.” These nerves speak to each other, and other cells by chemical messengers called “neurotransmitters.”
In fact, neurotransmitters have a strong effect on our mood, and many are made in the gut! A whopping 95% of serotonin is made in your gut, not in your brain!
Because eating and drinking is a huge portal where disease-causing critters can get into your body, it makes total sense that much of our defence system would be located there too. In fact, 75% of our immune system is in our gut.
These immune cells move throughout the entire body and can cause inflammation just about anywhere. If they’re activated by something in the gut, they can potentially wreak havoc anywhere in the body.
Gut microbes are your good gut residents. You have billions of them happily living in your gut. And they do amazing things like help you digest certain foods, make certain vitamins, and even help regulate inflammation.
More and more evidence shows that changes in your gut microbiota can impact your mood and even other, more serious, mental health issues.
A healthy gut goes hand-in-hand with a healthy brain! So, how do you feed your brain?
By eating a variety of minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods because no nutrients work alone.
However, two things that you many consider eating more of are fibre and omega-3 fats. Fibre (in fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds) help to feed your good gut microbes. And omega-3 fats (in fatty fish, walnuts, algae, and seeds like flax, chia, and hemp) are well-known inflammation-lowering brain boosters.
Serves 2
Instructions
Tip: Your gut microbes love to eat the fibre in the blueberries, oats, seeds, and nuts. Meanwhile, your brain loves the omega-3 fats in the seeds and nuts.
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