How To Feed The Brain In Your Belly

Fixing your digestion can make you feel a lot less anxious.

- Karolyn A. Gazella

THERE HAS BEEN a longstanding metaphorical connection between the brain and the gut, illustrated by expressions such as “trust your gut” and “gut instinct.” Now we’re learning about the physiology behind the metaphor—the dimension of intelligence that actually comes from the gut. Those “butterflies” or that “knot” in your stomach are signals from the brain in your belly telling you to be nervous. This “belly brain” even has a scientific name—the enteric nervous system (ENS)—and the 100 million nerve cells that make up this brain are hidden in the walls throughout the digestive tract.