Most of us have had moments where we “just knew” something felt right or wrong, almost like the decision came from our stomach instead of our brain. What’s interesting is that this isn’t just a figure of speech. The gut has its own nervous system, the enteric nervous system (ENS), often called the “second brain,” with hundreds of millions of neurons communicating constantly with the brain through the gut–brain axis. This two-way system influences digestion, emotion, stress, and even our intuitive decision-making.
Signals move between the gut and brain through the vagus nerve, hormones released by enteroendocrine cells, immune pathways, and even chemicals made by gut microbes. A lot of these messages never reach conscious awareness, but they still shape how we feel. For example, serotonin produced in the gut can affect mood, and stress from the brain can directly change gut motility, explaining things like “butterflies” before a big event.
One of the coolest ideas is that “gut feelings” may come from the anterior insula, the region that processes internal body signals. Over time, our bodies form emotional memories tied to physical sensations like hunger, nausea, or comfort. Because these sensations are tied to survival, the brain tends to act on them quickly, giving intuition that physical, urgent feeling we call a “gut reaction.”
When this communication loop becomes disrupted, it can contribute to conditions like IBS, anxiety, and depression. This shows just how connected our digestive and emotional systems are.
Have you ever had a moment when your “gut feeling” guided a decision more strongly than logic did? What do you think was really happening?
References
Mayer, E. A. (2011). Gut feelings: the emerging biology of gut–brain communication. Nature reviews neuroscience, 12(8), 453-466. |
| Forsythe, P., Sudo, N., Dinan, T., Taylor, V. H., & Bienenstock, J. (2010). Mood and gut feelings. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 24(1), 9-16. |
Your topic caught my attention, and I enjoy reading it, Jimena. I found it interesting how certain feelings from our gut feel so accurate, whether that is a good feeling or bad feeling. I didn't know that it is signal communication between our gut and the brain that produces this strange connection. Thanks for providing the detail on how the nerves communicate, how the enteroendocrine cells release hormones, etc.
ReplyDeleteYes I have! Like Dr. Campisi says, we better trust our second brain and DO NOT OVERTHINK THE QUESTION.
ReplyDeleteThis is so interesting!!! I always just took "gut-feeling" as an expression, not a literal statement with some fact behind it. A question that this brought up for me was when this disconnection occurs, is it because of the development of those conditions, or are the conditions stemming from the disconnection. Additionally, are there specific things that are known to disrupt this connection or make it stronger?
ReplyDelete