Gut Science
Gut Brain Axis
Your Remarkable Gut
Your gut is not just a sophisticated food processor - it keeps your whole body running smoothly. It’s easy to take this guy for granted, but your gut is actually the part of your body that engages most with the outside world. It’s also home to the largest part of your immune system. Put simply, your gut is a big deal. So big in fact, it is known as the second brain.
Listen to your Gut
We’re all familiar with phrases like ‘gut instinct’ and ‘feeling gutted’, they’ve been part of our vocabulary for hundreds of years now. They describe a sensation that we can now explain through science – the direct physical connection and continuous communication between our gut and our brain.
The Gut-Brain Axis
The link between the gut and the brain is known as the gut-brain axis. Your brain talks to all the organs in your body, including your gut, using a network of nerves that extend right throughout your body. But here’s the thing: the gut is the only organ in the body that talks back and also has its own nervous system – the enteric nervous system. This lets it perform and control some actions independently such as digesting the food we eat, without instruction from the brain. It’s also why the gut is known as the second brain – in fact it even has 200-600 million neurons of its own.
Gut Talk
The link between the gut and the brain is known as the gut-brain axis. Your brain talks to all the organs in your body, including your gut, using a network of nerves that extend right throughout your body. But here’s the thing: the gut is the only organ in the body that talks back and also has its own nervous system – the enteric nervous system. This lets it perform and control some actions independently such as digesting the food we eat, without instruction from the brain. It’s also why the gut is known as the second brain – in fact it even has 200-600 million neurons of its own.
What is neurotransmitter?
The Future of the Gut-Brain Axis
The gut-brain axis mechanism is still not fully understood, but scientists all around the world are continuing their research into the close relationship between the gut and the brain, or as it’s now called – the gut-brain axis.
Here are some ways to keep your gut-brain-axis in tip top condition
You Are What Your Bacteria Eat
Your gut-brain axis works best when you have a rich diversity of bacteria in your gut. Think again about having an assembly team in your gut factory, with each member of the team performing a key task for you. Gut bacteria thrive on healthy, whole foods that are rich in fibre. So, give them what they need to perform well by eating a varied diet. Your daily menu should include a mix of fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds. Fermented foods like some dairy products, kimchi, kombucha and sauerkraut are good sources of live bacteria, so including these in your diet can add extra diversity.
Sleep Soundly
Everyone loves that “conquer the world” feeling after a restful night’s sleep. Having a rich diversity of bacteria in our gut helps support quality, restorative sleep. But if our gut bacteria take a hit (for example due to antibiotic use), this is communicated along the gut-brain axis and our sleep can suffer. Given that we spend a third of our lives asleep, focusing on the quality of your sleep is one of the best things you can do for your overall well-being.
Move More
Your whole body thrives when you exercise. Your bacteria love a good workout too, because it helps make the gut a better place for them to live in. Exercise can thus enrich the diversity of your gut bacteria. Elite athletes have noticeably more diverse gut bacteria compared to the average person. But you don’t need to be ‘elite’, the good news is that even moderate amounts of exercise can make a difference. So, choose activities you enjoy – walking, cycling, swimming, rollerblading, playing frisbee, dancing – and you’ll help your gut bacteria to work at their best for you.
Get a Pet
If there was ever an excuse to get a puppy, here it is: people who live with pets have more gut bacteria diversity than those living in pet-free homes. Because humans have lived in close contact with animals and livestock, our gut bacteria have evolved alongside theirs. The best time to get a furry friend is in childhood while the eco-system of gut bacteria is still developing.
Gut Diversity is a Walk in the Park
It’s not just owning a pet that can boost your gut bacteria, interacting with the natural environment can do that as well. Spending some time in urban green spaces is a good example. So, go on you city slickers, take a walk in the park – your gut bacteria will thank you!
Reduce Stress Levels
Research shows that how we react to stress depends on our gut bacteria although we still need to pinpoint exactly which bacteria are most important. Having a rich diversity is a good starting point and thought to keep your stress response in tip-top shape. But high levels of stress can change the composition and function of your gut bacteria. We told you the gut-brain axis is a two-way street! So, take good care of our gut bacteria so that they are ready to support you every day.