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The brain controls nearly every process in the body. The gut microbiome produces metabolites that influence brain chemistry and function. Many processes in the body would not happen without the gut. Prioritizing gut health improves brain function. For these and other reasons, the gut is called the second brain.Why Is the Gut Called the Second Brain

You’ve likely heard of or even experienced gut feelings. The sensation in your gut that sways the decisions you make. This isn’t the only way your gut helps control what happens in your body. Your gut has been nicknamed “the second brain” because it has that much influence on your body.

How the Gut and Brain are Alike

Both the gut and brain use nerve cells called neurons. Neurons are controlled by brain impulses, neurotransmitters, internal structures, and sensory impulses from the area they’re in. 

Neurons are an important part of the enteric nervous system (ENS) that resides in the gut intestines. A major part of the ENS is the vagus nerve. This nerve has been connected to anxiety disorders and gastrointestinal conditions.

Neurotransmitters were originally thought to be mainly created in the brain. However, many of our neurotransmitters are derived from the gut microbes.

While the brain is often the first place people look for mental health, the gut has a huge impact on mental health and psychological conditions. Health in both areas is necessary for mental stability and psychological control. If one is off, it will influence the other, creating a difficult-to-disrupt cycle of problems.

How the Gut Influences Your Brain

As we mentioned before, the ENS and vagus nerve are major portions of not only the gastrointestinal system but also your brain. These neurons and nerves send signals up to the brain to let it know when something is wrong and that help is needed. 

Your gut microbes are another way the gut influences your brain. When your gut microbes digest food, they give off chemicals that travel throughout the body to impact cells, processes, organs, and structures. Eating a healthy diet provides your body with anti-inflammatory, health-boosting chemicals that repair damage, remove dead and damaged cells, and support good health.

When you eat unhealthy foods that are riddled with preservatives, added sugars, artificial ingredients, and bioengineered products, your gut microbiome changes. These foods allow bacteria to grow that are pathogenic, meaning they promote disease and damage your health. They also give off chemicals that are sent throughout your body, but instead of being supportive and helpful, they damage cells, increase inflammation, and make negative epigenetic changes to the processes your body uses to maintain health. 

Your gut controls your immune responses and, therefore, the amount of inflammation your body is experiencing. Inflammation is the root of diseases. When the body is experiencing inflammation, it does not enter the restful state of the parasympathetic nervous system. This means your body is constantly working harder than it needs to and begins making mistakes with processes that are typically easy for it to do. This also means your body is not removing damaged cells as efficiently, and they begin to build up in the body. This results in more inflammation and damage. 

The gut is the main producer of neurotransmitters, in addition to other helpful metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). Neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, GABA, norepinephrine, and histamine are all important for balanced brain health. Neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, mood disorders, and multiple sclerosis are all affected by neurotransmitter levels.  

The Gut-Brain Axis: How the Gut and Brain Work Together

Many processes throughout the body rely on both the gut and brain for proper functioning. Our immune response, for example, requires the brain to respond to stimuli, but the gut is the one that sends out the majority of the inflammatory response cells. 

Neurotransmitters from the gut influence the brain. Nearly 90% of our serotonin and around 50% of dopamine are derived from the gut. But the brain influences the gut with neurotransmitters, too. When there is disruption in the parasympathetic nervous system, it can slow gut motility, negatively impacting the state of your gut microbiome. These changes affect how the body uses nutrients and their absorption. 

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that is integral to our health. BDNF helps support neuronal growth and development. It’s important for memory and learning, and assists our neurotransmitters. BDNF affects gut health as well. It helps regulate motility and secretions, affects our sensitivity levels, helps control immunity, and maintains the integrity of our intestinal mucosa. 

SCFAs like butyrate help the gut-brain axis as well. These metabolites transition between the brain and gut and help everything along the way. They’re important for maintaining health and boosting mood and motility. 

In all of these ways and others, the gut and brain use these different molecules to communicate what is happening in one area, what is needed in others, and how they can improve our overall health and maintain homeostasis. 

Keeping the Gut-Brain Connection Healthy

Since the gut influences the brain and vice versa, and they’re both integral to a healthy mental state, how our body works, and how good we feel. But can you kill two birds with one stone, or is it a complex to-do list to maintain your gut-brain homeostasis? It’s actually quite easy. 

First, you’ll want to take a look at your diet. As we mentioned above, healthy foods are important. In your diet, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting enough:

  • Protein (clean plant and animal sources)
  • Healthy fats (fish, seeds, nuts, avocados, olives/oil, etc.)
  • Fiber, prebiotics, and polyphenols (fruits and vegetables, all the different kinds you can get)
  • Dietary probiotics (like those found in yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, etc.)

While you’re looking at your diet, limit the quick snacks and meals. We know you’re busy and that is difficult, but your gut and mental health will be drastically different if you’re eating whole foods rather than fast food and freezer section staples. 

Exercise 3-4 days a week. Whether it’s getting outside and walking, having living room dance parties, or weight training sessions, do something to get your body moving. Exercise is supportive for your gut-brain axis and non-negotiable for improving your health. 

Sleep allows your parasympathetic nervous system to kick in. This is when digestion occurs; your body is able to clear out damaged or dead cells, and inflammation can finalize what it needs to, so it can stop. Good quality sleep helps protect your brain and improve your gut health. 

Using Atrantil is supportive of your gut because it feeds the good bacteria to bring balance to a dysbiotic microbiome. Prebiotics and polyphenols help to reduce inflammation and reset the gut. This is then supportive for the brain and rest of the body because of the healthy metabolites as a result. 

Your gut and brain work closely together. The gut is called the second brain because it is so influential to the body and its important processes, even having influence over your brain health. Living a healthy lifestyle allows both organs to perform at their best, improving your quality of life and longevity.

Learn more about the gut-brain axis in any of these articles on our site:

Fight Inflammation Naturally: New Cell Type Discovered for Gut-Derived Brain Protection

Is ADHD Linked to Gut Health?

SIBO and Brain Fog

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