9 Mind-Blowing Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Yourself
4. Your Stomach Is Your Second Brain
It turns out our bellies go way beyond the process of digesting food - theyre lined with a network of neurons so extensive (100 million, to be precise) that scientists have nicknamed it our second brain. This system is separate from the nervous system we associate with the brain, with its own independent reflex activity controlling gut behaviour.
Our centre of intestinal intelligence doesnt do any conscious thinking, but it plays a massive role in determining our mental state. Emotions such as butterflies in the stomach are caused by blood being diverted away from the stomach to your muscles as the bodys fight-or-flight response. The fluttery feelings are neurons from your brain telling your stomach to freak out, and are normal as long as they dont interfere with daily life - which may be a sign of an anxiety disorder or depression.
Amazingly, 95% of the bodys serotonin (the happiness neurotransmitter) is found in the bowels. It sounds crazy, but feelings of anguish and sadness can be relieved by tinkering with the second brain in our gut. Research into treating chronic depression has shown that stimulation of the vagus nerve is effective. So next time you get those gut feelings, remember, they might be more reasonable than you think.