The Gut As Your Second Brain

[Be Still]

The autonomic system has three parts, not two, according to Dr. Gershon. The third part is the gut, so Dysautonomia and the gut are unalterably intertwined.

Lots of people here are fascinated by research, so here?s a topic if you, if you haven?t already looked at it. I spent the last seven years with a holistic doctor who totally focused on the gut as the target for all illness (healing it and only eating what it could handle.) It gave me an interesting perspective.

I?ve tried to read Dr Gershon's book twice but my brain couldn?t get past chapter one: ?The Second Brain : A Groundbreaking New Understanding of Nervous Disorders of the Stomach and Intestine? by Michael Gershon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006093072...glance&n=283155

I found a paper on it from a medical publication, but I?d need it related to me in layman?s terms. http://www.hosppract.com/issues/1999/07/gershon.htm Here?s a small, easy to understand article http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pt...501-000013.html and another somewhat more extensive. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/biology/b103/...2/partner2.html

What fascinates me is that Dr Gershon holds to the idea that the ANS has three parts (maybe all doctors do), sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric (gut), and serotonin is a huge factor on the enteric (ENS) side ("95% of all serotonin in the body is in the gut, where it triggers digestion.") Also, the ENS can function without help from the spinal nervous system or brain (animal intestinal cells operated independently in a petri dish, or something.)

There are lots of gut problems with Dysautonomia. Many take SSRI's, which can assist or trouble the gut. Dr Gershon recommends small doses for IBS. I?m coming from a background of looking to the gut first to solve sx. Anyone else? Just wanted to open up the topic for discussion, how Dysautonomia affects your gut, how seriously you take it, what you do, etc.

[Sophia3]

That book would be too much for my brain but I remember stumbling onto an article on this second brain years ago. FASCINATING STUFF!!!

[morgan617]

Very interesting stuff! When you think of the mesenteric gut being so involved in the ans system, ie pooling etc, it's not a huge step to this. Will have to investigate further! morgan

[futurehope]

Interestingly enough, in my case, my gut was the first portion of my body to cause problems, and that from a very young age.

I suppose I've hardly ever had a time when my gut was "normal". And all the "usual" tests, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, turn up nothing. Obviously, it's a nervous system malfunction.

Needless to say, gut problems can impact your life. I wish they knew more.

When I feel up to it, I'll check out your articles.

Thanks for posting.

[gwen]

A holistic md that I was going to last year determined that I had overactve yeast in digestive system and that was causing all sorts of problems. I've been on Nystatin ever since, Ive tried to go off but it is only a few days when symptoms come back. I had thrush on my tongue for two years and my dentist never told me what it was or that it was yeast infection. most people I tell this to don't realize this. changed my diet even got rid of my roseacea on face. I truly believe a lot of people are not realizing what they are putting into their bodies. I'm not a health nut freak but I sure watch a lot closer. I don't think western med realizes it all has to work together. They are just looking at quick fixes.