The Gut-Brain Connection: Why You Need a Good One

Do you ever think about the mind-boggling connections within our own bodies? There are systems that work together much more closely than you thought. One of those is your gut and brain. They don’t look like the closest of neighbors in your body, but they are actually BFFs that affect our mental and physical health. Let me show you how the gut-brain connection works and why you need it to be a great relationship.

Connected from the Very Beginning

Let’s start at the beginning of our existence as embryos. As the cells start to grow and differentiate, some cells head north to build the brain, while others head south to form the gut. You see how closely these systems are related when it’s one of the earliest to form.

Now, meet the VIP of this friendship: the vagus nerve. Think of it as the superhighway connecting your brain and gut, stretching all the way from your cranium to your digestive system. It’s the hotline for communication, making sure your brain and gut are in constant conversation.

This physical connection allows the vagus nerve to send signals to your brain from many of your organs, including your gut. It can send signals to the brain that are experienced as emotions. If the gut is not working properly, messages can be sent to the brain that can be interpreted as depression or a low mood.

The reverse happens as well with your brain sending signals down to the gut. For example, anxiety or panic in the brain can cause physical symptoms like gut pain or diarrhea. Have you or your kiddo ever had a tummy-ache from worrying? That’s the brain-gut connection at work.

The Risks of Disconnection

If the vagus nerve is damaged from surgery, infection, or chronic conditions like diabetes, the balance between the brain and gut will be disturbed. This can affect the brain’s ability to receive important signals such as information from probiotics in the gut (actual yeasts and beasts!) which can help or hurt our mental and digestive health.

The relationship between the gut and brain is so important that I provide free community education workshops on this topic. Check our calendar to see when the next presentation is scheduled. Or, if you’re experiencing gut symptoms or issues like brain fog, contact our office to see if your gut-brain connection needs a little repair and rebuilding of your brain’s information superhighway.