Mediaplanet: The Brain-Gut Connection

CDHF

Written by: CDHF

Updated: October 26th, 2022

Our executive director, Kelsey Cheyne spoke with mediaplanet for their 2022 Gut Health Campaign on the Brain-Gut Connection.

Your digestive tract comprises 100 million mesh-like body neurons, the network of nerve cells referred to as the enteric nervous system. It’s so extensive that some scientists call the enteric nervous system our “second brain.”   

The vagus nerve (a thick cable of neurons running between the base of the brain and our gut) allows the brain and the gut to communicate with each other, with information flowing bi-directionally. This is also known as the gut-brain axis.  

The vagus nerve isn’t the only way the brain and gut communicate — your gut microbiota also participates in these conversations. The gut microbiota refers to the trillions of microbes that reside in your gut and play an integral role in your health.  

The gut microbiota communicates by producing and storing over 30 neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the body). In fact, your gut microbiota produces over 95 percent of serotonin (known as “the happy chemical”), directly affecting your mood and well-being. What’s more, about 80 to 90 percent of the neurons in the vagus nerve are actually sending messages from the gut to the brain, with 10 to 20 percent sending commands from the brain to control muscles that move food through the gut. This means the signals generated in the gut can massively influence the brain. This can explain why digestive problems can cause anxiety and stress. 

Learn more by viewing the full mediaplanet article on the brain-gut connection here.

View the full mediaplanet gut health campaign here.

Related Articles:

View all News & Articles

world microbiome day graphic

Frequently Asked Questions on the Gut Microbiome

WDHD Banner

World Digestive Health Day: A Healthy Gut

Your Microbiome Impacts your Overall Health

Mediaplanet: The Brain-Gut Connection

Women looking up with question marks above her head

Dysbiosis and IBS

Girl with muddy hands

The Importance of Exposing Your Children to a Diverse Range of Bacteria

Mom smiling at husband with microbes in the back

Microbiota in Adulthood

Game of Microbes Animation

Mom kissing and holding baby

Antibiotic Use in Babies and Toddlers: Impacts on Long-term Health

MIcrobiome graphical representation from the gut

Introducing the Human Gut Microbiome Animation

man and child wearing jeans and sneakers with feet dangling

Your Microbiome Through the Ages

CDHF Talks: Pancreatic Health and the Gut Microbiome

CDHF Talks: IBS and the Gut Microbiome

Cutting up meat and vegetables in the kitchen

Eating for 1 Trillion

Yogurt bowl

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Dietary Patterns

Putting sugar into a cup of coffee

Microbiota and Sweeteners

Hands circling around the gut

IBS, The Microbiome and a Novel Virtual Tool

blue intestines

Demystifying Dysbiosis

Microbes, Motility and More: How Do I Know if my Poop is Normal?

The Cultured Coconut bottle on a kitchen counter

The Cultured Coconut – CDHF Certified Product