Bacterium in your Body.
If you were able to break the human body down into its simplest form to see what the human body consists of, you would likely come to the conclusion that after water, we consist mostly of bacterium. Bacteria out number cells in our body ten to one, and its a good thing that most of those bacterium reside in our gut, as our gut turns out to be a complete ecosystem for bacteria. (Carpenter). This makes the gut one of the most fascinating organs in your body. As its host, the gut is able to influence the bacteria to react in ways that create feelings, or a sense of something emanating from your gut. These feelings are commonly known as gut feelings and are most commonly experienced during periods of high stress or anxiety (Carpenter). Your body's responses to these stressful situations are partly controlled by your gut's bacteria’s system, known as the Enteric Nervous System (ENS), which controls your metabolism and digestion (Carpenter). The gut is so advanced that it is considered the “Second Brain” (Carpenter). The possibilities that may exist in harnessing the power of an independently operating second brain may help control disease and enhance ones health appear real and should be investigated farther. The second brain is no longer theoretical but rather a medical fact (Gershon), exactly what it does and our ability to control this second brain is still not fully understood.
The enteric nervous system has allowed us to make have made many breakthrough discoveries. For example, there may be connections between diseases and the enteric nervous system. By increasing our understanding of the bacteria that lives among the enteric nervous system, called gut flora, we may be able to create medicines to help people control an individuals’ energy, help people with obesity problems, or type two diabetes (Pimentel 2012). These new understanding of what the enteric nervous system can do may also help us understand how these bacteria send messages to our brain.
The study of the ENS is now a new specialized field of study called Neurogasteroenterology. The noted founder of this new field is Michael D. Gershon, he was also the same man to coin the term “the second brain”. Today, most scientists and doctors would agree the second brain is an important organ, which controls much more than originally believed, and is uniquely capable of operating independently of the Central Nervous System The second brain is not fully understood and needs more study for potential disease or illness treatment implications and a better overall understanding of the human body, its functions, and your guts role in how you feel With a better understanding of the second brain we may be able to make definitive connections between someone’s moods, the food they eat and the stress they feel. If we can do that, we may be able to manipulate those variables precisely and help many people suffering with depression or other related issues.
1. Carpenter, Siri (2012) The Gut Feeling. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling.aspx. Nov. 17, 2012
2. Pimentel, Gustavo. (2012). Gut-central nervous system axis is a target for nutritional therapies. http://www.nutritionj.com/content/11/1/22. Nov. 17, 2012
3. Gershon, M. The Second brain. New York: Random House, 2003.
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http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain
The enteric nervous system has allowed us to make have made many breakthrough discoveries. For example, there may be connections between diseases and the enteric nervous system. By increasing our understanding of the bacteria that lives among the enteric nervous system, called gut flora, we may be able to create medicines to help people control an individuals’ energy, help people with obesity problems, or type two diabetes (Pimentel 2012). These new understanding of what the enteric nervous system can do may also help us understand how these bacteria send messages to our brain.
The study of the ENS is now a new specialized field of study called Neurogasteroenterology. The noted founder of this new field is Michael D. Gershon, he was also the same man to coin the term “the second brain”. Today, most scientists and doctors would agree the second brain is an important organ, which controls much more than originally believed, and is uniquely capable of operating independently of the Central Nervous System The second brain is not fully understood and needs more study for potential disease or illness treatment implications and a better overall understanding of the human body, its functions, and your guts role in how you feel With a better understanding of the second brain we may be able to make definitive connections between someone’s moods, the food they eat and the stress they feel. If we can do that, we may be able to manipulate those variables precisely and help many people suffering with depression or other related issues.
1. Carpenter, Siri (2012) The Gut Feeling. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling.aspx. Nov. 17, 2012
2. Pimentel, Gustavo. (2012). Gut-central nervous system axis is a target for nutritional therapies. http://www.nutritionj.com/content/11/1/22. Nov. 17, 2012
3. Gershon, M. The Second brain. New York: Random House, 2003.
Picture
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain