Did you know that your body has a second brain? That's right, and it's located in your gut! It's called the enteric nervous system (ENS). To put it simply, the ENS is comprised of 200 to 600 million neurons.
A couple of functions of the ENS is to help call the right digestive enzymes to action to breakdown the food we eat, which helps with absorption. It also plays a role in monitoring the acidity and other chemical properties of food particles. Another function of the ENS is to help move food along your digestive tract by helping with peristalsis (contraction of intestinal muscles). Lastly, our "second" brain helps detect harmful bacteria, and when they're found that's when we either vomit or have diarrhea.
Did you know that you brain and gut communicate with each other? For example, your ENS helps regulate hormones that tell your brain you're hungry, as well as when you're full, and when you're nauseous. Another interesting thing to note is that your digestive tract and your brain are linked. That's why eating fatty foods improves your mood. That's because your ENS sends a happy signal to your brain when they're consumed, which boosts your mood! And, it may be a reason why we eat comfort foods when we're stressed. More research needs to be done in this area, so stay tuned! One last thought in this area is that scientists are trying to artificially stimulate the ENS for a treatment to depression.
Have you ever experienced "butterflies in your stomach"? You can thank you ENS for that sensation. That happens when your ENS is diverting blood away from your stomach when your brain is processing stress. This might also explain so called "gut" feelings.
As we can see, our body is quite complex. So, the next time you get "butterflies" in your stomach you can thank your enteric nervous system.
Reference: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/awake-no3-2017-june/enteric-nervous-system-second-brain/
No comments:
Post a Comment