Intestines and Brains

‘Why?’ you ask.  ‘Why are you looking into something as yucky as the intestines as a link to dementia?’  To be honest, it wasn’t something that had occurred to me before; I had never thought there could be a link.  Then, as we put Mom into hospice, she began to perk up.  I believed it was just a quirk of the disease, but then upon further investigation I learned it must be the yogurt.  

No, I’m not going to launch into an advert about a particular brand (although there is one I really like).  Yet, when the staff gave me her old yogurt (as the expiration date had passed and I needed to get her more) I just decided to try the “old stuff” - which was still rather tasty- and I began to feel much better.  Coincidence?  Perhaps, but upon further investigation I learned there is actually a link.  This is really interesting!

The link is called the brain-gut connection.  Think of it (facile as it may sound) this was:  You have a gut reaction, or you become stressed/nervous, and your stomach and guts begin to react accordingly.  It works just the opposite, as well - you eat something not so good and you begin to feel awful, have depression, anxiety, and a host of ailments.  These are linked, perhaps, by the diet and the involvement of the microbes and bacteria that should be thriving in your digestive ecosystem.   There are those who consider there is a second brain in the digestive tract, which is leading scientists to more discoveries than they had thought possible. (The Brain-Gut Connection)  

It’s all about the communication between the ENS (Enteric Nervous System) and the brain.  The gastrointestinal system is comprised of millions of nerve cells from the esophagus to the rectum (The Brain-Gut Connection).   Problems can arise in this region which could lead to mental issues.  Why?  Because there are more than 100 trillion microorganisms living in our bodies.  As the author in “I had the bacteria in my gut analysed. And this may be the …” states, these ‘critters’ need to be nurtured and fostered to be kept healthy.  Should they run into interference, then this is when problems begin to arise, both physically and mentally.  

As scientists begin exploring more into the neuroscience of the links between digestion and the brain, they find more and more information that could lead to some bigger findings that could affect more parts of the population than you might think. (The Neuroscience of the Gut)  And, yes, there seem to be some studies, too, that could link the possibility of dementia-like symptoms to diet, or even salmonella! (Alzheimer's-causing amyloid and bacteria trigger…)

It’s all very intriguing!  I know I could write and read so much about how diet affects our risks of dementia, but just knowing this - as well as having the knowledge of how insulin affects the brain - begins to help understand how important diet actually is.  I’m known for having a sweet tooth, at times, and I’m not always the healthiest eater - but since eating probiotic yogurt there is a shift in how I feel, act, and observe.  Could this be a little secret that might help keep the dementia boogeyman away?  Time will tell.