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The Second Brain

The Connection Between Our Gut and Our Mind

By Jesse NietmannPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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The gut contains as many as 100 million neurons, while the brain houses around 100 billion.

The brain and body are our two most basic parts, and you may be wondering whats up with the idea of a second brain. Well, this idea is a relatively recent neuro-scientific development which links our gut's bacteria to the way our brain functions.

The gut itself has over 100 million neurons and comprises what's known as the Enteric Nervous System (ENS, for short). These neurons are not so much for thinking, but rather they communicate with areas inside the brain via the Vagus nerve. This communication in-part explains why you will feel 'butterflies' in your stomach when nervous.

Our stomachs can house anywhere between 10 to 100 trillion bacteria, all of which help make us unique. At the moment of our birth, however, we are entirely sterile; our microbiome is then cultured during the first 3 years of life. This is to say that our bacterial make-up can be considered an individual "fingerprint" shaped by our environment, rather than given at birth.

Our gut fauna not only serve as an identifier but as a host of other responsibilities too:

  • It shapes our immune system
Our gut is involved in the activation and deactivation of genes. Studies have shown that less complex microbiomes tend to negatively affect genes that are beneficial to our immune system function.
  • It produces neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin
It is estimated that 95% of serotonin (also known as "the feel-good" neurotransmitter) is made in our gut. This not only impacts our gut, but the serotonin that can travel all the way to the brain and change our behavior as well.
  • It influences our tastes and our propensity for obesity
Studies have looked at the taste profiles of individuals and their respective lifestyles. What is known, is that people with obesity have an altered taste profile and a more distinct gut microbiome. In this regard, the discomfort felt when dieting may be attributed to the changing microbial landscape, as species of bacteria that break down sugars and fats begin to die off.
  • It impacts our personality and our mental health
It is unethical to significantly alter human microbiomes in a lab, so most of these studies are performed on mice. However, that does not diminish the implications of their findings. Researchers have identified extroverted and introverted mice and switched their microbiomes. Remarkably, the mice personalities changed to match the microbiome which had been implanted.

This idea has been taken further as well, and been applied to depression. One theory of depression is that it is caused by reduced neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, in other words, the brain's ability to reshape itself and form new connections. Growth factors are paramount to these functions, and where are most growth factors and their precursors made? You guessed it: the gut.

All in all, the gut is a powerful force on the mind. So in order to take good care of our minds, perhaps we should consider how we treat our stomachs as well.

Sources:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282448777_The_role_of_immune_system_maturation_in_gut-microbiota-brain_axis_communication

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306069083_Neurotransmitters_The_Critical_Modulators_Regulating_Gut-Brain_Axis

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301774982_Catecholamines_Facilitate_Fuel_Expenditure_and_Protect_Against_Obesity_via_a_Novel_Network_of_the_Gut-Brain_Axis_in_Transcription_Factor_Skn-1-deficient_Mice

http://neuroscienceresearch.wustl.edu/userfiles/file/Gut_brain%20axis%20How%20the%20microbiome%20influences%20anxiety%20and%20depression_Tran%20%20%20.pdf

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About the Creator

Jesse Nietmann

One guy just trying to help people understand themselves a bit better

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