Two brains, one body

Even the toughest Olympians probably felt "butterflies" in their stomach as they competed for all that gold.

We frequently get a gut impression when something is in error. We get butterflies in our stomachs when we are anxious, and we have diarrhea or nausea when we are stressed or anxious. To let our head brain know we're not OK, our second brain sends messages to our head brain. As a result, we could experience headaches, dizziness, or even fainting.

This sensation is caused by a frequently disregarded neural network that lines our stomachs and is so large that scientists have given it the label "second brain".

Saying that sounds odd (Not really!). It is, nevertheless, unquestionably true.

Although the human body possesses two brains, they are not remotely identical to each other.

Our ability to think and digest information comes from the brain within our heads. It effectively serves as our nervous system command center. It takes impulses from the sensory organs in our bodies and then communicates with the muscles to produce feeling and action.

Our digestive system, or more specifically, our stomach, contains our second brain. Certain components of our neural system, including substances that affect our mood, are found in our stomach. This system functions independently from our brain and is essentially a second brain.

What causes this “gut feeling”?

It's common to refer to the digestive system, which controls our stomach, as the body's "second brain". This complex network employs the same chemicals and cells as the brain to aid in digestion and notifies the brain when anything is wrong, despite the fact that it cannot write poetry or calculate mathematics.

The gut and brain communicate constantly.

These two sizable nerve centers are highly interconnected. Our quality of life is impacted by this connection, which alters how we experience and perceive digestive problems. Normally, the brain tells the gut to be ready for incoming food when we observe something appetizing. But messages also pass from the intestines to the brain.

This explains why we naturally steer clear of the food and even the environment where we consume it when something makes us ill.

Abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, motion sickness, or "butterflies" may be symptoms of anxiety or stress.

Here are some strategies to make sure that your "second brain" is having the healthiest and greatest existence possible:

1. Avoid damaging food

Grain products, legumes, and refined and processed diets are some of these silent killers. These may be difficult to digest and increase the risk of intestine perforations. If you're having symptoms like bloating after eating, uncomfortable gas, or feeling groggy all day, it's imperative to cut back on your consumption of cookies, crackers, bread, pasta, oats, and in rare circumstances, even brown rice.

2. Consuming fermented food

One of the greatest and most efficient methods to guarantee gut health and replace good gut flora is by eating fermented foods. You should also include kombucha, kimchi, and yogurt in your diet as good examples of fermented foods.

3. Sleeping well

Your gut can benefit from a restful night's sleep as well!

The key to a healthy stomach is getting enough sleep and learning stress management techniques. The more exhausted you are, the simpler it is to feel stressed out, which causes your body to release cortisol and upset your stomach. It's no accident that stress and stomach aches go hand in hand.

Conclusion

The majority of the neuronal networks in the human body cannot perform what the digestive system does.

It contains a network of two-way connections with the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord, yet it is capable of functioning independently of them.

That implies that the digestive system is not dependent on signals from the central nervous system and is capable of acting independently. Its capacity to regulate our “gut feeling” has given it the name "second brain".