Gut instinct: how your diet shapes your mind
Life and style | The Guardian
There’s a reason our gut is known as the ‘second brain’ – what you eat has an effect on your mind
The idea that many of our emotions and feelings are linked to the gut is an ancient one. More than 2,000 years ago, the Romans made reference to what we today describe as a “gut feeling”. Now, modern science indicates that the gut may indeed play a role in mood disorders and our mental health.
The gut is covered in nerve cells known as neurons – cells that transmit signals to other neurons, and which are also fundamental to our brains. Research suggests that this network, known as the enteric nervous system, contains more than 100m neurons. This complex network of cells in our gut is able to function independently of the brain and spinal cord, and is often referred to as the body’s “second brain”.
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