Nutrition

Is Your Second Brain

Healthy? Written by Brittney Oliver CHC

One in five US adults is said to struggle

with mental health imbalance and the percentages are climbing each year. These numbers don’t even account for the fact that 10% of children have a mental health imbalance nor do they record the many adults and children suffering in silence, unreported. Until recently, it’s been a misconception that all mental health cases were rooted mainly in life trauma or “broken brain”.

In truth, the human body was designed with a “second brain”, the Gut Microbiome. The Human Gut is made of so many neurons that it functions completely on its own, hence the nickname “second brain”. The Gut also communicates signals of distressor calm directly to the actual brain through the Vagus Nerve, a system of nerves that run through the spinal cord. Even more interestingly is that the bacteria that live in the human gut actually produce most of the body’s serotonin and dopamine which are the “happy hormones” that we require for optimal mood balance, energy and even sleep patterns. Most antidepressants relieve depression by affecting these neurotransmitters in an attempt to find a favorable balance and relief from symptoms but we have a reason to suspect that the Gut may be able to do better in the long run. According to NCBI studies, only 40 to 60 percent of individuals who took antidepressants noticed improvements in their mental health conditions. While the data is still being tested, many case studies on mice have shown interesting results worth noting on things such as fecal transplantation and mood alteration. When “happy” mice were given a gut microbe (fecal) transplant from a depressed person, the mice then developed depressive tendencies. The same was also true with anxiety. When the depressed or anxious mice were given a transplant from a healthy host, their mood disorder dramatically, seemingly overnight.

Our gut is responsible for more than just our happy hormones but also the majority of our immune system, melatonin production for sleep and nutrient assimilation.

Seeing as how the body works in synchronicity, if any of these functions are lacking, we may also see a decline in our mental health. The great news is that each day we learn more and more about the power house that is the Gut.

The Gut needs healthy, whole, organic foods to adequately nourish its precious microbes and allow us to function optimally. It also needs to be protected from chemicals, prescription overuse, stress and poor- quality food like substances.

While mental health is a deeply troubling condition, the research around gut health is providing hope for many. The answer to improving the health of our first brain may likely be to focus firstly on the “second brain” and as a bonus, the rest of the body may follow suit. w

------------------------------------------------------------------------Brittney Oliver is a board certified Health and Life Coach, Author and Founder of the Holistic Wellness Coaching Academy school for Gut Health coach training.

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