UQ eMag Aug 25 - final - Flipbook - Page 23
Have you ever wondered why there are
common sayings like “a gut-wrenching
experience” or “bu琀琀er昀氀ies in your
stomach”? Your brain and your gut are more
intertwined than you may think and no
ma琀琀er how ‘mentally happy’ you may be,
your gut is incredibly sensi琀椀ve to emo琀椀on.
Just like so many other things in your body,
your brain is paramount to gut func琀椀on
and has a direct link to your intes琀椀nes. For
example, the very thought of ea琀椀ng can
release the stomach's juices before food
gets there. On the 昀氀ip side, a troubled
intes琀椀ne can send signals back to the brain.
Therefore, a person's stomach or intes琀椀nal
distress can be the cause or the product of
anxiety, stress, or depression.
The connection between your brain and your gut
Within your gastrointes琀椀nal
tract is the enteric nervous
system (ENS). Here, two
layers of more than 100
million nerve cells quietly
control your diges琀椀on, from
swallowing to the release of
enzymes that break down
food to the control of blood
昀氀ow that helps with nutrient
absorp琀椀on and elimina琀椀on.
While scien琀椀sts have
known of the ENS’ power
to control diges琀椀on and
the gut’s direct connec琀椀on
to our brain via the vagus
nerve (a major component
of the autonomic nervous
system which enables you
to breathe, digest food, and
swallow automa琀椀cally) for
genera琀椀ons, recent research
has uncovered just how
much the ENS can trigger
emo琀椀onal shi昀琀s.
Indeed, researchers are 昀椀nding
evidence that irrita琀椀on in
the gastrointes琀椀nal system
may send signals to the
central nervous system (CNS)
that trigger mood changes.
These 昀椀ndings can explain
