5 Facts you didn’t know about the gut-brain connection
Have you ever had butterflies on a first date or felt sick to your stomach before a work presentation? All of these moments are real-life examples of your gut-brain axis at play (i.e., the two-way communication between your gut and your brain).
Although 90% of your serotonin (known as your “happy hormone“) is produced in the gut, it can’t cross the blood brain barrier. Therefore, it is unlikely that this is the mechanism through which your gut health can impact your mood. Our understanding of how your gut and your brain communicate with one another is still evolving, but we know that there are many complex pathways involved, including immune, endocrine, nervous and neurological pathways. Dr Emily Prpa will dive deeper into this during her upcoming online workshop (register here).
It’s not your gut that is your “second brain”, but your enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS is a web of trillions of nerves embedded within your digestive tract.
These nerve cells are similar to the ones in your brain, but obviously the neurons in your gut aren’t solving complex math equations. Instead, they allow your gut to function completely independently of the brain.
Just 5g more of fibre a day (equivalent to ~2 pieces of fruit) can lower your risk of depression by 5% (Saghafian et al., 2023).
Follow Dr Emily Prpa, leading gut health nutritionist, on Instagram (@TheNutritionReporter) for updates on the latest research in nutrition and health.
