How Gut Microbiota Influence Your Life 🦠🌱

Your gut microbiota—trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes in your GI tract(or gastrointestinal tract, which means gut)—play a vital role in your health + mental health, influencing digestion, immunity, and even brain function.

One of their most fascinating roles is the production of neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that affect how your brain and body work. Key examples include:

• Serotonin (90% made in the gut): Regulates mood, sleep, and gut motility. [1]

• GABA: Calms anxiety.[2]

• Dopamine: Controls motivation and reward.[3]

• Acetylcholine: Supports memory and cognition.[3]

• Histamine: Affects immunity and gut-brain communication.[3]

These neurotransmitters don’t just stay in the gut! Through the vagus nerve—the main communication highway between the gut and the brain—gut microbes influence your emotions and mental state. For instance, the phenomenon of being “hangry” (hunger-induced anger) may be tied to changes in microbiota activity and serotonin levels during fasting, which can impact emotional regulation and mood.

Another key player in this connection is the Enteric Nervous System (ENS), often called the “second brain.” This intricate network of neurons and supporting cells is embedded in the walls of your GI tract and helps control digestion, motility, and blood flow. While the ENS can function independently of the brain and spinal cord, it communicates closely with the central nervous system (CNS) via the vagus nerve, forming a critical part of the gut-brain axis. This axis explains how gut health directly impacts brain health. [4]

Truly, "how you eat is how you live." 🧠✨

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#GutHealth #Microbiota #MentalHealth #Hangry #Healthyliving

Ref link:

[1] https://lnkd.in/g4RhrCNu

[2] https://lnkd.in/gYRp8EJE

[3] https://lnkd.in/gWDPSnsX

[4] https://lnkd.in/gZyrmEWn