Nervous System Trivia Info

[MysticSoul9]

Here is a bit of nervous system trivia. Why so many of us have gut and digestive issues.

When the baby is in utero a mass of cells develops that begin the process of creating the brain and nervous system. After a few weeks these calls divide and one group becomes the brain and the other the GI tract. They come from identical cells.

Our 30-foot long gut is embedded with cells of the enteric nervous system, the ENS, a complex system of around 100 million nerves which is often referred to as our "second brain". The ENS supervises the processes of digestion and stays in close contact with, and is heavily influenced by, the central nervous system (the CNS) which comprises the brain and spinal cord.

The ENS and CNS  use many of the same chemical messengers or neurotransmitters including acetylcholine and serotonin. In fact the gut has more of these receptors than the brain and can operate independently of the brain

When you take a drug that alters or boosts neurotransmitters in the brain it is also having an effect on the gut. Here is a web site that explains the process

http://www.pointofreturn.com/gut_health.html

[MysticSoul9]

Probiotics are not the answer - the gut has over 400 species of bacteria and what you buy in the store might have a dozen and they wont match your unique bacteria DNA

The issue is not with the bactera balance it is with the neurotransmitters and the baisc functioning of the gut

[Persephone3576]

Wow, that explains why my digestion was totally disrupted when I tried to take myself off my meds and then got back on. Things still aren't back to normal almost a year later! I've tried probiotics, but they seem to make things (gas, bloating) worse. I hope that time will help.

Thanks for posting!