Hello Brain! It's Your Gut Messenging! — Marilyn Walls Nutrition

April 2020

In the last episode the cast of trillions of microflora were introduced, but even with those numbers none of them are extras. (This is a big budget production! Are you listening, Netflix?) Their essential work includes, but is hardly limited to, helping the G.I. tract to absorb nutrients and to manufacture certain vitamins. When it comes to supporting immunity, some of the little bacteria duke it out with the bad invaders while other good microbiota (the pacifists?) simply crowd out the infectious ones.

Scientists have recognized the effect of the brain on the gut for quite a while. If you have kids, you probably have too. A test at school can precipitate an upset stomach. Even in adults stress can create G.I. tract disturbances or, as my mother used to say, “a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.” (Bless her heart, she had a sensitive G.I. tract.)

The newer research shows that communication between the gut and the brain isn’t just the brain talking to the gut. The gut has even been nicknamed the second brain, because the microbiome in the G.I. tract actually sends messages to the brain. They are a busy, hard-working cast, but they need assistants for that upward connection. Enter the neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters – with names like GABA, dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine – are chemical molecules that aid communication between cells. They carry messages that affect everything that goes on in the body, from muscles to mood. GABA is inhibitory, aiding in relaxation and pain relief. Serotonin is “happy juice,” elevating mood, while easing both depression and insomnia.

Though many neurotransmitters are associated with the jobs of the brain, they do not necessarily originate there. A variety of neurotransmitters are produced in the gut by our friendly, tiny little critters living and working there. In fact, a whopping 80-90 percent of serotonin, that feel-good envoi, is made in the gut by microflora. Dr. Mark Lyle, now at Emory University, saw neurotransmitters “not described before” being produced by intestinal bacteria. “Bacteria,” he said, “in effect are mind-altering microorganisms.” Using the Vagus nerve, which extends from the stomach to the brain, the microflora send neurotransmitters directly to the brain: do not pass go, don’t bother with passage through the bloodstream.

Currently in the early stages of research, studies are focusing on how these probiotics improve mood by reducing stress, depression and anxiety. They have been found to shape the architecture of sleep, influence memory and cognition, and aid in how we respond to stress.

This assembly of countless microbiota needs to be supported. Here are some suggestions.

What they like to eat

· Fiber

· Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts

· Especially the fiber inulin (aka prebiotics)

· Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes)

· Fennel bulb

· Garlic

· Onion

· Bananas

· Beets

· Leeks

· Asparagus

· Dandelion root (traditionally used for digestion and liver cleansing)

· Elecampane root (traditionally used for infections, especially of the lungs)

What decreases the microbiome

· Antibiotics

· Stress

· Lack of sleep

· Too much added sugar

· Too much alcohol

· Pro-inflammatory foods (aka processed foods, excessive red meat)

· Artificial sweeteners

· Illness

· Diarrhea

· G.I. tract conditions

· Allergies and leaky gut

Lately we’ve all been reminded of our lack of control and how often we have to learn that lesson. Existential philosophers believed anxiety needed to be accepted as a part of the human condition. With very few escape routes right now, this seems particularly evident. Perhaps a well-nourished body and healthy G.I. tract can help support the ability to handle this time of stress.

Note: Just because I haven’t included references here, doesn’t mean that I’ve neglected to do my research. My book, “Mother’s Secret: A Nutritionist’s View of Family and Alzheimer’s Disease” includes fourteen pages of references.