Has something ever given you “butterflies” in your stomach? Have you ever reacted to something that made you “feel sick to your stomach”? These expressions are the result of an unlikely source, your “second” brain. Your gastrointestinal tract is, in fact, susceptible to emotion. Anger, anxiety, happiness, and fear are all reactions that your gut could trigger.
The ENS, or the enteric nervous system, consists of two thin layers of more than 100 million nerve cells lining your gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the rectum. The primary role of the ENS is to control digestion, from swallowing and the release of enzymes that break down food, to the control of blood flow that helps with nutrient absorption to elimination. Although this system is not capable of physical thought, it does communicate exceptionally well with your brain via the gut-brain axis, a series of nerve endings that communicate signals back and forth.
Previous research has indicated a connection between those with functional gastrointestinal problems such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or constipation, diarrhea, etc., and changes in emotional behavior. The assumption was that anxiety and depression were affecting the bowels. However, new studies are finding that it may also be the other way around. Researchers are finding evidence that irritation in the gastrointestinal system may send signals to the central nervous system (CNS) that trigger significant shifts in mood and emotion.
Jay Pasricha, M.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Neurogastroenterology, states, “These new findings may explain why a higher-than-normal percentage of people with IBS and functional bowel problems develop depression and anxiety,” Pasricha says. “That’s important because up to 30 to 40 percent of the population has functional bowel problems at some point.”
This new understanding of how the gut-brain is connected opens the door for new treatment plans. By understanding the ENS-CNS connection, doctors can determine an effective treatment that may consist of antidepressants or mind-body therapies to treat symptoms of IBS and bowel disorders. “Our two brains ‘talk’ to each other, so therapies that help one may help the other,” Pasricha says. “In a way, gastroenterologists (doctors who specialize in digestive conditions) are like counselors looking for ways to soothe the second brain.”
Think twice the next time you want to “go with your gut”!
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