Gut-Brain Connection: How What You Eat Affects How You Think

Intuition can be best described as a “gut feeling”, which for several centuries now, has been more than a popular phrase but a common expression used all over the world. However, new science findings are showcasing a more realistic perspective to this saying. Recent studies tend to uncover the link between people’s gut and their brains, which reveals the fact that what we consume has a potential to affect or mood, thinking ability as well as mental health. This bidirectional communication channel, which scientists nominally call the gut-brain axis, is defined as a new way of solving the human body’s enigma. 

1. The Enteric Nervous System: The Gut's "Second Brain"

In fact, our gut is not a mere pipeline for digestion and absorption. Encased within the structure is a simple brain that holds more than 100 million nerve cells referred to as the enteric nervous system. Also known as the ‘gut’ssecond brain’, the ENS is located in the stomach and functions autonomously of the CNS, but stays in great contact with it by way of nerve signals and hormones. The ENS is involved in the control of digestion and it also has a significant signal to the brain regarding the state of the gut including the availability and types of nutrients, existence of good bacteria, presence of inflammation among others. 

2. The Gut Microbiome 

The gut microbiome refers to trillions of microorganisms of varied types that live and thrive within the human gut. This microbial population is considered to be important in the processes of digestion, absorption of nutrients, and immune system functioning. Current studies claim that the gut microbiome has a link to the brain thus affects the synthesis of serotonin; a neurotransmitter that controls mood and wellbeing. Several research findings illustrate the relationship between the modulation of the gut microbiota balance and the development of anxiety, depression, and other neuropsychiatric disorders. 

3. Diet as a Tool for Brain Health 

Learning about the nature of the communication between the gut and the brain enables one to use nutrition as a way to influence the functioning of the brain. Healthy nutrition means the consumption of fiber, prebiotics, which are foods that support the bacteria that are essential in the body, and omega 3 fatty acids as they help in creating more beneficial neurotransmitters in the gut. On the other hand, the consumption of products rich in processed food, sugar, and unhealthy fats alters the healthy microbes in the gut and may cause inflammation that, in its turn, may affect mood and cognitive skills. 

Conclusion 

It is interesting to note that the fields dealing with the relationship between the gut and the brain are still developing rapidly. That way the requirement which concern the communication between our digestive system and our brain has to be met as well as additional requirements concerning our diet and its relation to our mental health. Promising enough, as more research is done to simultaneously explain how the gastrointestinal tract and the brain are interconnected, there is much more potential of what food can do to our thought processes, moods, and brain structures in the future. 

Writer: Malak

Editor: Sara