What is the ‘nervous system’? 

Controlling your thoughts, movements, and emotions, the nervous system is like the computer of the body, controlled by nerves and neurons. Nerve impulses send messages from the brain to the body in instantaneous reactions. The two major components of the nervous system are the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.

 

The CNS - central nervous system - is comprised of the brain and spinal cord. It interprets incoming information and gives the body instructions on how to proceed in times of movement, thinking, talking, hearing, seeing, general awareness while keeping the body in a neutral state.

The PNS - peripheral nervous system - is all nerve connections in the body aside from the brain and spinal cord. The PNS acts as the communication lines throughout the body, linking the whole body together by sending and receiving signals to and from the central nervous system.

 

We also have the ENS – enteric nervous system – which includes neurons, neurotransmitters and over 100 million nerve cells that line the entirety of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This is referred to as the ‘second brain’ or the ‘brain in your gut’ that is associated with phrases like ‘listen to your gut’ or ‘that news was gut-wrenching’.

How is it all connected?

The nervous system, the immune system, and hormones all play a vital role in the communication between the brain and the gut. This is proven when you are nervous and get butterflies in your stomach, or when your stomach hurts during times of extreme stress.

The ENS and its communication with our ‘main’ brain is key to our mental health.

 

While the brain and the gut are connected through different pathways, we will focus on the main one; the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve regulates the functions of many organs throughout the body, including heart rate, breathing, sweating, and digestion. Because of the direct connection between the gut and the brain through the vagus nerve, it results in the ability for one part to affect the other.

Studies have shown that bad bacteria in the gut and irritation in the GI tract has been correlated to emotional changes such as depression, anxiety, and inflammatory bowel disease/syndrome. It also goes the other way, as mood disorders such as anxiety and depression can make GI problems worse.

It is important to keep in mind that not all bacteria in the gut is ‘bad’. Your normal gut flora which is the ‘good’ bacteria can be altered by improper use of antibiotics, excess stress, poor diet, smoking or alcohol. Probiotics & prebiotics have shown the ability to reduce stress, depression, and anxiety in people by reducing the amount of cortisol in the body. Prebiotics, found naturally in many food sources such as legumes, berries, garlic, and onions are important as they feed the ‘good bacteria’ in your gut. Probiotics, also found in natural foods, mainly fermented such as kefir, kimchi, kombucha, are live bacteria that can help with gut issues by adding to the good bacteria already present. While both can also be supplemented in pill or powder form, it is possible to achieve them through food choices. Including both prebiotics and probiotics together is called microbiome therapy and is recommended as it is more effective to take both, as opposed to one over the other.

So what does all this mean?

 

The main take away is that if you take care of your gut and the bacteria in it, your brain and mental health has the ability to improve. The connection between your brain and gut affects digestion, moods, and the way you think. Altering the type and amount of bacteria in your gut can alter your moods and emotions. While there is still more research needed, studies have shown that altering bacteria in the gut through certain diets may even help to treat stress-related and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and hyperactivity.

Yet another way of how your body is connected!

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with care · b.k