Believe it or not, even though it is an unexpected source, our brain is significantly affected by our gut.  Apparently, a healthy gut equals a healthy mind. The gut is our second brain and the bacteria that thrive there mold our brain structure and possibly affect our mental health, mood, and behavior.

Dr.Mercola explains:

“The human gut has 200 million neurons — the equivalent of a cat’s or dog’s brain. Your gut also houses nearly 100 trillion microorganisms, which influence everything from biological to emotional functioning.

Your upper brain is home to your central nervous system while your gut houses the enteric nervous system. The two nervous systems, the central nervous system in your brain and the enteric nervous system in your gut, are in constant communication, connected as they are via the vagus nerve.

Your vagal nerve is the 10th cranial nerve and the longest nerve in your body, extending through your neck into your abdomen. It has the widest distribution of both sensory and motor fibers.”

This is also known as the gut-brain axis. Moreover, even 90% of all the fibers in the vagus carry information from the gut to the brain. The communication is enabled through molecules produced by gut bacteria, that enter the bloodstream. The blood releases hormones and neuroactive compounds that reach the brain through the bloodstream.