Leisure World News

Leisure World News • Community • April 2022 A29 By Ronda Gates “I had this gut reaction!” “I feel like I’ve been hit in the gut!” “I’ve got butterflies in my stomach!” “That was gut wrenching news.” If you’ve ever heard yourself think or say any of these phrases know this! Your gut is speaking to you At first glance, your “gut” --a 30-foot tube that processes your food should have no role in what we think or feel about a situation. However, scientists and medical researchers have discovered that there is, indeed, a gut-brain connection that is usually triggered by an emergency or emotions such as fear, anxiety, or sadness. Here’s the mechanism! Nerve cells, called neurons, are fundamental units of our brain. There are more than 100 billion neurons in the brain. These neurons use electrical and chemical signals, called neurotransmitters to create a complex network of communication that carries information throughout the body to connect with one another and help coordinate all the necessary functions of life. Imagine the surprise of medical researchers when they discovered there are more of these messenger molecules—up to 500 billion neurons--in the gut. These chemical body messengers are moved back and forth between the gut and brain when the neurons synthesize and release chemical messengers called neuropeptides. Neuropeptides foster the transmission of neurons (neurotransmitters) to create the “two-way” communication that is responsible for the impact of brain health on gut health and vice versa. Imagine a stressful life circumstance. You’ve lost your wallet. You’ve missed a flight connection. You’ve learned a good friend is gravely ill. In the short-term, the stress these incidents produce can be advantageous. They heighten your senses, and stimulate resolution-based strategies. You react appropriately. But when your brain senses too much stress it triggers a primitive “fight or flight or freeze” response. Perhaps you experience or come upon an emergency—a car accident, the imminent threat of a weather event, the sudden accident of a child, a friend, or a relative. Your body leaps into action and controls functions you can’t control-- your heartbeat, your breathing and how you digest food. The stress source may be positive or negative, but your brain and your gut will react. In a worst-case scenario, the neuron-based stress response can trigger other body responses that, in the belly, may disturb natural rhythmic contractions that move food through your gut causing irritable bowel syndrome. In the brain the hyperactivity can be the chemical source of anxiety-based diagnoses including depression and panic attacks. So, what’s a body to do? In the case of stress induced gut (and brain) reactions know that exercise, meditation, breathing exercises, and aromatherapy are just a few of the tools that can be calming. Craig cycles and walks his dog through Leisure World to keep his gut and brain relaxed. When Jean jogs, the heart rate feature on her watch provides biofeedback that keeps her intensity in a stress reducing range. Kathryn never misses her power yoga class. Her husband relishes his 3-times a week golf game (although he often jokes his score isn’t a relaxing feature)! Nutrition also plays a role. Your gastrointestinal tract, lined with those millions of neurons works best when, like a car, it gets premium fuel. Eating high-quality, premium foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals and stress reducing, cell protecting antioxidants are your best choice. A healthy gut follows a diet low in sugar and high in fresh vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, fish, and seafood with modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “laughter is the best medicine.” A Medical News report from John Hopkins suggested that the best stress reducer makes use of your gut. Their scientists who studied health agreed that indeed, it’s that deep, gut busting belly laugh that produces good neuropeptides to counter the not so good ones produced by stress. This writer agrees. Some of my best memories are the times I’ve spent laughing with friends. Bottom line, your gut reaction, gut wrenching news, feeling like you’ve been hit in the gut or those butterflies in your stomach are because your brain and gut are communicating with one another. It’s worth your attention as they are both giving you a message that’s worth trusting. -Ronda Gates, MS is a Leisure World resident with an eclectic education in pharmacy, nutrition, fitness and counseling. One of her many hobbies including ferreting fact from fiction when it comes to health related news. 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