Gut Health

Why does indigestion make us feel so bleh? What does the gut have to do with health?

Did you know – our guts love to chat? (No, not flatulence and burping). They talk to the bacteria that support digestion, regulate epithelia and immune functions (stay tuned for the Gut Immune System post), and reports to the brain about energy uptake and other conditions that affect our mood and well-being.

The Greek for gut is ‘éntera’ (as in entrails, dysentery, etc.). The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is the largest neural network after the brain (our guts really do have feelings!), with 100 million neurons surrounding it.

It’s no wonder an unhappy gut makes for an uncomfortable human! And it works both ways, because an unhappy human can make the gut unhappy – poor oxygenation, or long-term stress and/or depression can make lasting changes to our guts.

Interested or perplexed? Stay tuned for the next #gutscience by #SmartHerbals instalment.

#sciencefacts #colonhealth #SmartBiotech

source: Bischoff, SC. (2011) BMC Medicine 9: 24.

Image from Adobe Stock - SciePro