Brain health issues associated with “stomach upset”

This is the 3120th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

As the saying goes, "a prime minister's stomach can hold a boat." It describes a person who is magnanimous and generous, and advocates being open-minded and kind to others. In fact, in addition to having an open-minded heart, a person must also have a good stomach. Usually, people's state of life, such as habitual stomach upset when getting up in the morning; poor appetite or overeating when in a bad mood; emotional anxiety in a healthy hunger state; normal drowsiness after a meal, etc., all reflect the correlation between the gastrointestinal tract and brain function. These correlations have been confirmed by scientific research that the "brain-gut axis" is quietly playing a role.

Modern medical scientific research has not only proved that the brain has the function of directing and regulating gastrointestinal function, but gastrointestinal function has become a "barometer" of brain health. On the other hand, changes in gastrointestinal function will also directly affect the functional state of the brain. Some people say that the gastrointestinal tract is called our second brain? Why? The previous view was that there were only nerve endings and synapses in the organs and tissues of the body, and the nerve cell nuclei were all in the brain and spinal cord. Now research has found that there are almost 500 million neurons in the intestines. This is equivalent to 0.5% of the number of neurons in the brain and 5 times more than the number of neurons in the spinal cord. The number of neurons in our intestines is equivalent to that of a cat's brain.

Scientists have conducted experiments to cut off the vagus nerve leading to the intestines, and the intestines can still respond to external stimuli, just like earthworms. Therefore, some people even regard the intestines as an independent "another brain". Ecological and biological scientific research has found that the intestinal nervous system evolved earlier than the brain. Lower animals have nerve cells and nervous systems responsible for eating, but they do not have a brain in the traditional sense. Eating is a task that all animals need to complete. Therefore, the intestines are independent and can make decisions on their own without going through the brain and central nervous system. Only the intestines have such authority, and no other body organs have it.

On the other hand, the intestinal flora, as normal microorganisms in the human intestine, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, can synthesize a variety of vitamins necessary for human growth and development; they can also use protein residues to synthesize essential amino acids, such as aspartic acid, phenylalanine, valine and threonine; and participate in the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins, while also promoting the absorption of mineral elements such as iron, magnesium and zinc; intestinal flora can also produce a large number of important neurotransmitters, such as GABA inhibitors, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine and melatonin. These nutrients and proteins play an important role in human health, and once they are lacking, they will cause a variety of diseases.

From the perspective of the brain-gut axis, large-scale studies have found that the brain-gut axis is a bidirectional signal regulation system that connects the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. The brain regulates the intestinal system through the human nervous system, and the intestines upload information to the brain through the neuroendocrine system, immune system and other pathways: the two are mutually beneficial and closely connected, forming the two poles of the human brain-gut axis, and both play a very important role in the physiological and pathological mechanisms of the human body. In other words, the health of the intestine and the function of the brain will affect each other. According to research, common diseases or sub-health conditions such as bulimia, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, anxiety, stress, depression, etc. are all related to brain-gut axis disorders.

Knowing the relationship between the brain and the stomach and intestines, we will be more aware of and pay more attention to our gastrointestinal function and brain health maintenance. It is often said that "taking good care of your stomach" is the beginning of a healthy and happy life, and it will also better maintain our brain health. A few health tips about the brain-gut axis:

1. In normal life, avoid going to bed on an empty stomach or too full. Drinking a cup of milk tea before going to bed at night can help you fall asleep with a stable mood and contribute to a higher quality of rest.

2. When your bad mood affects your appetite, you can try not to be too hard on your stomach and intestines. You should neither lose your appetite nor be overeating. Positive feedback can regulate your emotions through the brain-gut axis and achieve a new state of mind-body balance.

3. Stress or impatience may cause gastrointestinal irritation, leading to frequent "stomach upset". It is important to understand that stomach upset is not necessarily caused by eating the wrong food, but may be a state of brain dysfunction, which can be changed through psychological counseling or traditional Chinese medicine conditioning methods.

4. Once serious gastrointestinal problems occur, such as gastrointestinal ulcers, you should pay attention to whether there is a problem with your emotions. Long-term emotional disorders are the direct cause of many psychosomatic diseases.

In short, brain health in life is closely related to our daily life. Maintaining brain health starts with every meal and every night of sleep.

Author: Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Rehabilitation Medicine

Dr. Pingping Sun