We’ve all experienced butterflies in the stomach before, for example, an interview or performing on stage.
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That is your brain expressing stress to your gut, and chronic stress can lead to chronic gut problems.
We’ve all thought “I’ve got a feeling in my gut”, but we now know there is a two-way communication – your brain can switch on your gut but, just as importantly, your gut can directly influence your brain, including feelings and thoughts.
Being anxious can give you gut problems, but having gut problems can make you anxious. If your gut doesn’t work properly, that wonderful feeling of being pleasantly full (but not overfull) after a meal is lost.
A very large and complex network of nerves, sometimes called the “second brain”, controls coordination of the gut muscles and aids communication across the body.
If gut coordination fails, you may experience pain, swelling, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances and misery after eating.
And gut bugs play a huge role in promoting normal function and inducing disease. Inside each of us live many microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi etc.) especially in the gut, what is called the microbiome; there are about three times as many microbial cells as human cells in your body.
Gut bugs play a huge role in promoting normal function and inducing disease.
In other words, you and everyone carry around trillions of bugs that live and multiply and die inside of you. All together the bugs weigh about 2 kilograms (similar to the weight of your brain).
There are many more bug genes in our bodies than human genes (about 200 times more); we carry human and microbial genes necessary for us to survive as healthy humans.
These microbes communicate with the brain via the gut nerves and by secreting chemicals and hormones, and help the gut to digest food and do its business without us even noticing.
We are also what we eat; our diet changes our microbiome because the bugs feed off what goes in.
Each individual has a different microbiome, but it changes from infancy to old age. The bugs also change if you smoke, take medications, or become ill.
Our work in Newcastle and Sydney has shown in long-term studies that around one half of those with unexplained gut problems (such as irritable bowel syndrome) have anxiety or depression before gut problems start. This suggests that a brain disorder alters the gut pathways, which then produces symptoms.
However, gut problems in other people begin first and then they develop anxiety and depression, called the gut-brain pathway.
We have discovered inflammation in the intestines that activates the immune system. The intestinal bugs also change, and the immune system detects it. We’ve also discovered a bug in the colon linked to IBS and diarrhoea.
Our work suggests now genes, the microbiome and food work together to lead to gut health or, if unbalanced, to disease.
Genetics play a major role in coeliac disease for example, as only those with a particular gene set are at risk of gluten damaging the small bowel. Those with coeliac disease with poor adherence to a gluten-free diet have a higher incidence of both psychological and gut symptoms.
The microbiome can be changed by an acute infection, antibiotics or diet change, resulting in gut inflammation and a leaky gut. Various microbial families alter in this situation, and can signal the brain. The result may be chronic gut distress and even psychological disorders.
The microbiome plays a leading role in health, so yes, food can make you happy, but it needs to be the right food.
For example, the classic Mediterranean diet of vegetables, legumes such as peas and beans, fruit, fish and unsaturated fats may lower the risk of depression. This is not due to a single ingredient, but rather the combination of these foods seems to help balance the microbiome.
The gut and the brain can be seen as yin and yang. To keep everything in harmony, eat a healthy balanced diet, exercise regularly and reduce stress; your stomach, mind and gut bugs will thank you.
To learn more, come to a free public event at the Civic Theatre on October 16, 5:30pm. Register at hmri.org.au/upcoming-events. Professor Rob Knight from the US will talk about health and gut bugs. He’s a world expert in the field and is being hosted by the University of Newcastle gut research team.