A Healthy Gut Makes a Healthy Brain

“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” according to the adage. But the same sentiment cannot be applied to your health. Seemingly unrelated parts of your body can be intimately connected. When it comes to your health it is more accurately reflected as “what happens in your bowels determines the health of your brain.” Sounds crazy but it’s true. Here are two reasons why your digestive health plays an enormous role in your brain health.

1. You are what you eat, according to the old adage. But, I think “you are what you digest, absorb and assimilate” is an important addition to the saying. After all, what you eat, digest, absorb and assimilate will become the building blocks of every cell in your body, including those in your brain. If the digestion process is impaired, your body will lack adequate building blocks to maintain healthy brain and nervous system cells.

2. Research is showing that the gastrointestinal tract (GI) plays a huge part in your body’s immune response. It is one of the main determinants of the levels of inflammation in your body, and whether your body will attack healthy tissue.

Over 100,000,000,000,000 bacteria of more than 400 different species reside in your intestines. Actually, there are more microorganisms found in your digestive tract than there are cells in your body. Most of these bacteria reside in the large intestine, which is also known as the colon. We tend to become alarmed at the very thought of bacteria residing in our bodies, but these bacteria are an important part of our health. They help ensure that food is adequately broken down, nutrients are synthesized and absorbed, toxins are not absorbed into the blood, harmful bacteria stay in check, and that the immune system is healthy. These beneficial bacteria are also known as flora, microflora, or probiotics (the opposite of antibiotics).

Find out how you can benefit from the research…

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Cheryl B.

3:52PM PDT on Mar 24, 2013

thanks

March 24
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Simone S.

5:42AM PST on Mar 6, 2013

muito bom o artigo, vou utilizar as dicas no dia a dia!

March 6
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Rana S.

8:00AM PDT on Nov 2, 2012

Good, noted. Thanks for sharing.

November 2
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Heidi A.

6:47PM PDT on Oct 19, 2012

I was so amazed by this information I had to read it twice. Just to let folks know, aside from the BILLIONS of probiotics and helpful bacteria you get in yogurt and supplements, In 1 TBSP. of saurkraut you get TRILLIONS of benificial bacteria. Also with Kimchee.

October 19
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John S.

3:09AM PDT on Oct 19, 2012

That's why I make my own "live" sauerkraut, plus it's the easiest way to get here.

Jules W.

3:21PM PDT on Oct 16, 2012

Thanks for share!!!

October 16
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Lynn C.

1:49PM PDT on Oct 16, 2012

Thanks for this article. Have been sneaking a pro-biotic pill in with my dad's vitamins and he's doing better, so I think this may be the reason.

Sue M.

2:52PM PDT on Oct 15, 2012

October 15
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Bill E.

11:06AM PDT on Oct 15, 2012

We do depend upon helpful bacteria. It is good if you can eat probiotics such as yogart.

Kath P.

10:00AM PDT on Oct 15, 2012

As Kirsten B mentioned....watch for commercial yogourts which advertise that they help your gut. Their low level of bacteria and high level of sweetened additives make them poor choices.