Of Course Two Brains Are Better Than One!
by Dr. Lee A. Bowers
How many times have we heard someone say, �I just have a gut feeling about this?� Most people, when they refer to their �gut� are talking about their digestive system � stomach, intestines, etc. So how does your stomach make decisions for you?
The gut has a mind of its own, called the �enteric nervous system.� Researchers have found that, just like the larger brain in the head, this system sends and receives impulses, records experiences, and responds to emotions.
The enteric nervous system is located in the lining of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon. It is a network of neurons, neurotransmitters, and proteins that sends messages between nerves, support cells like those found in the brain in the head, and a complex circuitry that enables it to act independently, learn, remember, and produce �gut feelings.�
The gut�s brain plays a major role in human happiness and misery. Many gastrointestinal disorders like colitis and irritable bowel originate from problems within the gut�s brain.
Research in a new field of medicine called �neurogastroenterology� has discovered that the gut contains 100 million nerves � more than in the spinal cord! Major neurotransmitters � serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine, and nitric oxide are in the gut. Two dozen small brain proteins, called neuropeptides are there, along with the major cells of the immune system. Enkephalins (members of the endorphin family) are also in the gut.
The gut is a rich source of bensodiazepines � the family of psychoactive chemicals that include Valium and Xanax. As research progresses, implications for new treatments for diseases like Parkinson�s, Alzheimer�s, Chron�s disease, ulcerative colitis, epilepsy, and autism is enormous.
Patients with severed spinal cords, which prevent the higher brain from communicating with the rest of the body, and stroke victims, will also benefit from this research because the gut�s brain can learn to perform many of the functions of the higher brain.
So learn to listen to your gut, increase your self-awareness, and be grateful for nature�s wonders!
Dr. Bowers is a health psychologist in Villanova. You can contact her at: 610-520-0443, leebowers@comcast.net, or www.drleebowers.com.