Gut-Brain Connection – Which is the Real Brain?
Gut-Brain Connection – Which is the Real Brain?
Is there a direct relationship between our gut and our brain? Should we be bothered about how our brains will function as we age because of what we eat today?
If anything, we have a gut instinct that can help determine how our health is impacted on a daily basis. From improper food choices to an inactive lifestyle and the occurrence of sudden illnesses, today, we will talk about the real brain behind our gut bacteria and why it’s so important.
The gut-brain connection with inflammation
Your gut directs the function of your brain and your overall health. To put it simply, your brain and gut are intimately connected. The gut has several processes going on, from the chemicals produced by the gut bacteria to regulating immunity and inflammation in the body, manufacturing of neurotransmitters, the integrity of the gut lining; the list is unending. Therefore, what happens to the gut can directly affect your overall health, starting with the brain.
How does the gut impact the brain?
The food we put into our bodies can directly affect the integrity of our gut.
Since the gut relates to the heart, the immune system, the liver, the risk for cancer, diabetes, coronary artery disease, etc., you can’t really segregate the gut from the brain. It’s all interconnected.
Let’s take, for instance, turmeric, which is known to be a potent anti-inflammatory. By and large, it reduces inflammation, increases antioxidant production, and significantly aids in detoxification.
Further into what turmeric can also do is augment the brain’s production of a growth hormone called BDNF. BDNF aids in the increased growth of new brain cells in the area that deals with memory. In fact, studies have revealed that individuals with the lowest BDNF levels have the highest risk for developing Alzheimer’s.
Therefore, when we talk about diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism, and multiple sclerosis, the primary mechanism that drives these diseases is inflammation, the beginnings of which are found in the gut. And the result of inflammation is the change and loss of integrity in the gut lining.
What does inflammation eventually lead to?
When the gut lining undergoes adverse changes, the chemicals from inside the gut slip into the systemic circulation and stimulate the production of immune cells. This process leads to the secretion of inflammatory chemicals that make their way to the brain. As a result, the changes that occur lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and even cancer.
Therefore, inflammation is the cause of all chronic degenerative conditions. So, maintaining the integrity of our gut system is something we need to address.
Our gut bacteria spend a great deal of time, day and night, ensuring that our gut lining stays intact and is in the best shape. However, they can’t act alone. Much of their efforts have to be contributed by us in the food choices we make and the lifestyle we consciously adopt.
Our food choices versus weight gain versus inflammation
When it comes to dealing with healthy lifestyle habits, many people fall short at some point due to a hectic routine. It’s especially challenging for people who develop obesity as a result. Studies show that weight gain is associated with increased inflammation. The more weight you gain, the higher chances of increased inflammation in the body.
Therefore, it is important to note the foods that cause inflammation. Foods like sugar, vegetable oils, fried foods, refined carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, and other artificial food additives naturally trigger inflammation in the body.
Many of these foods lead to the formation of acid in the body. The production of this acid can, in turn, increase inflammation. Acid-forming foods include bottled fruit juice, potato chips, alcohol, processed meats, red meat, coffee, soda, and dairy products. Sugar, in particular, is known to cause inflammation in the body.
However, reducing to a large extent the intake of certain foods and losing excess weight can help reduce inflammation. Gut inflammation may also contribute to weight gain. For this reason, eating a balanced diet with lots of fresh vegetables is also important for gut health.
Many people suffering from obesity need to take proper health measures to return to their ideal body weight. However, in the case of being overweight and crossing the obesity limit, one may need external medications to aid in their weight loss journey.
Dr2bThin is your online weight loss doctor that prescribes Phentermine 37.5mg for obese patients. After a free medical weight loss consultation, the doctor will assess whether or not you need this drug to help lose weight effectively.
Phentermine is a powerful weight loss medication that is a prescription-only stimulant. It is FDA-approved. It helps people lose weight by eliminating their need to eat more.
Phentermine in rare cases can have some side effects for the patient.That is why you need to consult an online weight loss doctor to understand whether or not this drug will help you lose weight effectively.
Apart from using a weight loss pill, our food choices play a significant role in deciding the fate of our health.
Nurturing our gut bacteria
Our gut bacteria are the most important part. If we do not fuel our gut with the right foods, we risk increasing inflammation. This leads to developing chronic diseases from diabetes to coronary heart diseases, and so on.
The different factors that negatively impact our gut bacteria:
- Unhealthy food choices
- Antibiotics
- Proton pump inhibitors
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories
- Lack of exercise
- Chronic stress
- Sleep issues
So, managing these factors can certainly bring about an improvement in every aspect. If you note, inflammation is the cause of a lot of health issues that also affect brain health to a large degree.
That being said, inflammation is not entirely harmful. It depends on the context. For instance, inflammation is a response to an injury or infection in the body. It is a process by which the body protects itself against the invasion of an organism. Free radicals are produced by the white blood cells when cancer cells are present. This process enables the killing of the cancer cells, hence protecting our health’s integrity.
Therefore, as we work towards living a healthy life, feeding our gut bacteria with the right foods and maintaining an active lifestyle can benefit the way our brain functions and improve our quality of life.
More Blogs on Gut Health:
The Gut-Health Immunity Connection
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