Well, maybe not literally, but having a faulty digestive system can certainly cause more problems than a little gas. New research is showing that having a healthy digestive tract may support proper brain function. Scientific links have been made between several GI diseases and IQ deficits, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and even autism.
The Gut-Brain Connection
The digestive system and the nervous system don’t seem like they would be so interrelated, but it turns out that good digestive health is dependent on normal communication with the nervous system. The nervous system communicates with the digestive system through neurotransmitters and hormones, especially serotonin. In fact, up to 95% of the body’s serotonin is found in the gut. Serotonin communication is responsible for moderating proper movement of food through the digestive tract and perception of pain among other things. When something goes wrong with the serotonin signaling it follows that there will be consequences for cognitive health as well as digestive health. Research shows that problems with signaling are part of the reason people develop irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders.
Serotonin is not the only player in the link between the brain and the gut. Good probiotic bacteria in the gut is necessary for digestive health and it also affects the nervous system. Not enough probiotic bacteria in the gut allows for bad bacteria to take hold. The bad bacteria produce toxins which can cause chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, which causes the release of toxins into the rest of the body. This process is often referred to as ‘leaky gut syndrome’. This release of toxins may be responsible for the development of the different neuropsychological illnesses listed above (i.e., IQ deficits, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and autism).
Get Good Bugs
In order to keep both systems healthy, the best plan of attack would be to include a good probiotic in your daily routine. Probiotic bacteria levels in the gut decrease with age and can also be affected by illness, stress, antibiotics, drug use (such as NSAIDs and aspirin) and changes in the diet. Using a good probiotic will maintain proper function and health of the digestive system and protect you from toxins that could have consequences for your mental well being. We recommend Ortho Biotic – 1 capsule 1-2x/day on an empty stomach.
Aminos to the rescue
If you’ve had a long standing gut issue, even a minor one, it can severely impact your neurotransmitter balance (like serotonin and dopamine). This can affect your mood, food cravings, cognition, pain tolerance, appetite and even lead to migraine headaches. In order to get to optimal function, you must first restore proper neurotransmitter balance, and the only way to do that is to give your body the nutrients it needs to make the necessary neurotransmitters. If this is an area that you feel you could use some help with, give us a call and set up a quick initial consultation. We’ll figure out what you need to do and get you what you need to get things back in balance.