THE GUT : YOUR SECOND BRAIN
One of the most extraordinary areas to emerge from gut health research is the link between your gut and your brain . Some have even called the gut the second brain because , although it doesn ’ t have its own consciousness , it does have its own nervous system . Plus , it has a communication highway to the brain via the vagus nerve . There are 12 cranial nerves that connect the brain to other parts of the body , and the vagus nerve is the longest and most complex . It runs from the brain all the way to the abdomen and connects not only the gut , but other organs to the brain , too . Most of the communication runs from the gut to the brain , but there is also some chatter in the other direction . There are other routes of communication between the gut and the brain , too .
We certainly know that diet impacts brain function , mood disorders , brain performance and influences the risk of cognitive decline , Alzheimer ’ s disease and Parkinson ’ s disease . Diet is not the only factor , but it is a factor we have control over , so it is a huge area of interest in research .
Certain dietary patterns have also proved to be beneficial in preventing and treating depression and anxiety . The evidence points to dietary patterns that incorporate a number of different features :
• A wholefood diet with plenty of variety
• Limiting ultra-processed foods
• Boosting your intake of wholegrains , nuts and seeds , legumes , vegetables and fruits .
Meet Dr Joanna McMillan . As well as a PhD qualified nutrition scientist and Accredited Practising Dietitian , Joanna is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at La Trobe University and guest lecturer at The University of Sydney . She is a Fellow of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and Graduate of The Australian Institute of Company Directors . An experienced TV presenter , Jo is a regular on radio and in print media , an experienced speaker with more than 1 million views of her TEDx talk , the author of eight books and four Audible Original series . She is also a non-executive board member of Cobram Estate Olives .
© Dietitian Connection 23 Infuse | February 2023