Your brain is connected to every part of your body, so what is so special about the connection between your gut and your brain? It turns out that your gut enjoys a particularly intimate relationship with your brain, compared to the other organs in your body, so much so, that your gut has been called your ‘second brain’.
We now know that there is a constant and complex two-way conversation and flow of information taking place between your gut and your brain. This means that what is happening in your brain (if you are happy, sad, anxious or tired for example) can have a big effect on what is happening in your gut. And, importantly, what is happening in your gut can also affect what is happening in your brain. Think of the feeling of ‘butterflies in your stomach’ you may have got before an exam, or the need to dash to the bathroom when something nerve racking is about to happen. All those feelings are due to the Gut-Brain axis.