Vagus Nerve: The Link between our Gut, Brain & Emotional Highway
Further deepening the brain gut connection, research has identified two strains of gut bacteria that affect anxiety and depression through using the vagus nerve to access the brain. The vagus nerve is the longest of the cranial nerves. The name “vagus” comes from the Latin term for ‘wandering” because it wanders from the brain into organs in the neck, chest and abdomen. A few of the functions of the vagus nerve are that it controls digestion, breathing, and heart rate. We used to think the vagus nerve controlled all digestive functions but research has proven that the digestive system itself has it’s own nervous system, the enteric nervous system.
The enteric nervous system, “enteric” meaning intestinal, is made up of two thin layers of more than 100 million nerve cells lining your gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the rectum. These nerves communicate with and assist the vagus nerve in controlling digestion, swallowing, releasing digestive enzymes, and controlling blood flow to help with every aspect from nutrient absorption to elimination.
On the surface of this nerve rich intestinal tract lives a bacterial population called the micro biome. The micro biome consisting of tens of trillions of bacteria maintains the health of the intestinal lining and aids in digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
Research has now discovered that these bacteria have neurotransmitter receptors on them that allow them to release neurochemicals like GABA or serotonin into the vagus nerve which goes back to the brain creating a sense of peaceful calm or a sense of anxiety and depression.
Imagine, it’s as if tens of trillions of people just got your phone number and anytime you do something they do not approve of you receive a text about it. Don’t you think you’d start feeling a little anxious and depressed? That’s what happens when you eat junk food, you get tired, bloated, unmotivated, anxious and/or depressed. Your brain is getting overwhelmed with angry texts from your gut bacteria saying “what are you doing to us down here!!” The micro biome maintains a delicate balance between good and bad bacteria. The good bacteria provide immune support, keep the lining of the intestinal tract healthy and release neurotransmitters which give you a sense of feeling peaceful and calm. However, the good bacteria thrive on a very specific diet of fiber. The more fiber you eat the less angry texts you receive and the more peaceful and calm you will feel. Bad bacteria thrive on sugar and proteins. The more sugar and proteins you consume the more angry texts you will receive from your good bacteria.
Research has identified specific gut bacteria like Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which contains a neurotransmitter called GABA which helps regulate brain activity and can calm anxiety. Also, in cases of chronic colitis associated with anxiety-like behavior, the anxiety is affected with the treatment of probiotic bacteria, Bifidobacterium longum. I believe we will start seeing specific bacterial strain probiotics being prescribed for various aspects of mental health as research in this field progresses.
What is important to note is that our micro biome, these tens of trillions of bacteria that control our digestion and now apparently our mood as well, are unique in each individual. An individual’s micro biome is unique to that individual because it is acquired through the vaginal birthing process. The micro biome is affected and can be altered by cesarean sections (which make up 33% of births today), antibiotic use, environmental factors and diet.
So What Can We Do Now?
If you are an adult born by C-section it is essential that your diet be high in soluble fiber, fermented foods and a healthy dose of nature. Soluble fiber is the preferred food source for good bacteria so that they can populate and keep the bad bacteria in check. Here is a list of the top 10 soluble fiber foods. Fermented foods offer more variety in different strains of bacteria so you have a more balanced array of types of bacteria. The micro biome is made up of 100’s of different strains of bacteria. A probiotic on average contains about 20 different strains so fermented foods will offer more variety of strains than a probiotic. Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, organic miso, tofu and tempeh are most common though you can ferment almost all vegetables and many meats. According to Dr. Zach Bush, endocrinologist and microbiology researcher, “spending time in nature is the best way to expose yourself to the 100’s of different strains of bacteria necessary to reinstate a healthy bacterial balance in the body. Spend time in as many different natural environments as possible like forest preserves, swamps, oceans, rivers, mountain tops, etc because each environment has its own balanced ecosystem that you can breathe in and restore your own internal bacterial ecosystem.”
Antibiotics are the equivalent to setting off an atomic bomb to your gut bacteria, they decimate the good and bad bacteria but based on your diet the bad bacteria can repopulate faster which will suppress your immune system long term. Antibiotic use is overprescribed in the US and should be used instead as an absolute last resort. Educate yourself on natural ways to support your immune system and consult with a naturopath to create an herbal protocol for what ails you. In cases in which you do use antibiotics, always follow with the recommendations listed above of a probiotic, a high soluble fiber and fermented foods diet, and time spent in nature.
Environmental factors that affect our micro biome include uranium in our ground water, lead pipes in apartment complexes, herbicides and pesticides in conventional agriculture, mercury in our air from increased pollution, and the aluminum in our deoderants, canned foods, and pots and pans. Sixty percent of our lymph nodes which make up our immune system are around the intestines. These lymph nodes work in conjunction with our micro biome to protect the body from allergens, toxins and harmful bacteria in our food and water sources. Manual lymphatic drainage and visceral manipulation are two types of bodywork that help support the detoxification of the digestive and lymphatic systems in the abdomen.
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