Happiness and How to Find It.
Our body has two brains. There is the one we know about and a second one in our guts.
The brain is not the only place in the body that is full of neurotransmitters – the gut is known to synthesise and store up to 95% of serotonin. (Serotonin is one of our happy chemicals). Serotonin is what antidepressants are designed to boost.
So HAPPINESS literally starts in the GUT.
Gut health is so important and is often the key when addressing health issues such as intolerances, ADHD, skin conditions, anxiety and depression. It is important to take note of gut symptoms such as diarrhoea, bloating, constipation and pain. These are not normal and can be a sign there is an imbalance in your gut flora.
Our gut micro-biome is the bacteria in our gut. It is a highly organized micro world that helps to digest and absorb food and nutrients. If this gut flora is compromised it affects a person’s immune system and ability to make serotonin. The gut lining of your digestive tract can become damaged. Sometimes the spaces can become large enough that food particles can pass through and enter the blood stream and into the body. This is termed a leaky gut.
The brain connection is via a nerve called the vagus nerve that runs as a branch system between the gut and the brain. This has been established by research as the gut-brain axis. You know when you get butterflies in your tummy or that gut feeling when you are nervous, that is the connection between the brain and gut.
What can damage the gut flora and cause leaky gut:
– antibiotics
– contraceptive pill
– poor diet- too much sugar or gluten
– infections in the gut- candida, parasites, virus (Glandular fever, Epstein Barr etc)
– stress- makes the gut too acidic
An alternative view to Psychiatry.
Modern medicine looks at mental health problems from all sorts of angles: from genetics, childhood experiences and psychological influences. One area that it doesn’t look at is the patient’s digestive system and its impact on the brain. Have you ever heard a person say “I have everything in my life I could wish for but I’m still sad, how can this be?”….
This is often a person suffering from a leaky gut where their serotonin levels in their gut have dropped so low that nothing makes them happy anymore. This is how seriously the gut can affect the brain.
If you have a leaky gut, it is very likely you have a leaky brain. A leaky brain is when the protective blood brain barrier has been breached. Once the blood brain barrier has been compromised, the brain is susceptible to damage from heavy metals, chemicals, bacteria and other infections. A leaky brain can cause symptoms such as brain fog, trouble concentrating, poor memory, depression and anxiety.
If you feel you are suffering from any of the above symptoms and want to be well and happy contact OHE today on 02 9999 1680.
