How to Enhance Your Gut Microbiome for Brain & Overall Health | Episode 61
Main Takeaways
The gut includes the entire digestive tract, while the microbiota are bacteria in the gut, and the microbiome refers to the bacteria and the genes they produce.
The digestive system begins at the mouth and ends at the anus, and the microbiota live in the lumen of the digestive tract.
Behaviors and experiences alter microbiota, including whether a person was born vaginally or via C-section, whether they have pets, and whether they play outside.
Microbiota contribute to the digestion of nutrients and can change the way the brain functions by metabolizing neurotransmitters.
The more diverse the microbiome, the better the emotional well-being, and gut microbiome diversity is critical for establishing a healthy gut-brain connection and immunity.
Nerve cells in the gut collect information and send it to the brain via the vagus nerve, influencing our food preferences.
Chemical and mechanical signals from the gut work in tandem to send signals to the brain to eat more or stop eating.
Gut microbiota can create dopamine and serotonin, affecting our baseline levels of these neurotransmitters in the brain.
Early exposure to microbiota is critical for establishing a healthy gut-brain connection and immunity.
Excessive intake of probiotics can induce brain fog, and most probiotics don't actually increase the gut microbiota one needs
