As many of you may be aware, the vast majority of the immune system lives in your digestive system (aka the gut).
It is also home to the body’s second brain, meaning that it has intelligence (ie gut feeling).
This article speaks to the power of the gut/brain connection in terms of diseases thought to originate in the brain (e.g. Parkinsons, depression…), but really originate in the gut due to imbalances in the microbiome (rain forest in your gut).
It is just another example of the importance of your digestive system – both in terms of what you eat, and the impact of other toxins on the gut…
STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- The quality, quantity and composition of the bacteria in your gut have enormous influence on your brain and overall health. Your gut plays a key role in your mental health, stress and neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s
- Nearly 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms compose your gut microbiome, and advancing science has made it clear that these organisms play a major role in your mental and physical health
- The human gut has 200 million neurons — the equivalent of a cat’s or dog’s brain — and produces 95 percent of your body’s serotonin, a brain chemical associated with emotional well-being
- Research suggests Parkinson’s disease may start in the gut and travel to the brain via the vagus nerve. Chemicals produced by certain gut bacteria also worsen the accumulation of proteins in the brain associated with the disease
- Your immune system is educated based on the information received from your gut bacteria. Exposure to a wide variety of bacteria helps your immune system stay alert and optimizes its function
From Mercola
