The gut-brain axis is a bi-directional (two-way) link between the central nervous system in our brain and the enteric system in our stomach, via the vagus nerve. It has been the subject of a vast amount of research in recent years and has identified the impact that gut health has on mental health and vice versa.
Did you know that you have two brains?
The one in your head that we all know about, which along with the spinal cord is known as the central nervous system (CNS), and a second 'brain' in your gut known as the enteric nervous system (ENS).
The ENS communicates continuously with the central nervous system (CNS), meaning that changes in the gut impact the brain and vice versa. This link is referred to as the gut-brain axis, a concept which arose in the early 1970s from the observation that many of the compounds (peptides) originally isolated in the gut (including serotonin, which affects mood) are also found in the brain and vice versa.
It has since been discovered that there are continuous back and forth interactions of information and feedback between the ENS and the CNS and that these information exchanges are present during times of both health and disease.
It is now clear that a healthy gut has a role to play in supporting mental health.