When thinking about the digestive system, we immediately connect with digestion and the biochemical processes of nutrition, without imagining that it is a system that contains neurons independent of the central nervous system. It is the so-called “second brain” of the organism.
If you experience emotions of pain, stress or sadness, have you noticed that these are reflected in the intestines and translate into colic, diarrhea, constipation or discomfort?
The enteric nervous system is an autonomous section of the nervous system, in charge of directly controlling the digestive system. Therefore, the intestine can function without receiving orders from the brain.
In my daily practice at Salutte Clinic, I recommend that patients do 15 or 20 minutes of meditation a day, as well as work on the digestive system hand in hand with psychology and psychiatry. This is due to the biochemical principle of the body’s serotonin. It is estimated that 85% is found in the gastrointestinal tract.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects intestinal movement and is involved in various pathologies in the science of psychiatry.
An investigation published in the “Journal of Medicine and Life” recalls that the digestive system also intervenes in the defense of the organism. It eliminates the perceived harmful products and provokes an anticipation of the behavior. That is, the digestive tract has a mechanical defense capacity at multiple levels, with oral (nausea), gastric (vomiting) and intestinal (diarrhea) rejection reactions. It is estimated that the intestines host 70% of the cells of the immune system.
Due to the importance of keeping the “second brain” in optimal conditions, it is best to create a calm state of mind at mealtime, so that digestion is complete, without nervous effects. Also, eat as much raw food as possible, for example, greens, vegetables and fruits; as well as eliminate ultra-processed and trans fats.
A literary genius like Miguel de Cervantes perhaps sensed the role of the digestive system in certain emotions and behaviors when he wrote in Don Quixote: “…the work and weight of weapons cannot be carried without the government of the guts”.
* Dr. Acosta Then is a bariatric endoscopist, director of the Salutte Clinic Obesity and Specialties Clinic, in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic. She belongs to the US Bariatric Endoscopy Society and directs the “Happy Weight Without Surgery” program. https://www.instagram.com/dra.acostathen