Hypocritical silence and rude jokes are the lot of most digestive organs. Diarrhea is a shame, farting is disgusting, the sphincter does not seem to exist. But the more scientists plunge into the intricacies of the intestines, the better they realize that the structure of this part of the human body is ideal, and its effect on mood and quality of life is enormous. Do you want to talk more substantively?
In no living organism does defecation, that is, the disposal of garbage, take place as hygienically and perfectly as in a human. The work of the intestines is unstoppable, but, fortunately, it is always coordinated with the brain.... If the desire to fart or relieve itself catches a person at a moment that the gray matter does not recognize as convenient for the intended, locking mechanisms are triggered in the intestine. They will hold back the inevitable at least until the end of the romantic dinner. However, we do not advise you to abuse this ability: regularly restraining yourself from going to the toilet, suppressing urge after urge for several hours, you can damage your locking mechanism.
The appendix called the appendix does not exist only to become inflamed and put a person in the hospital. His role is to observe what is happening in the intestinal cavity and sometimes even rush to the rescue. For example, if a harmful microorganism missed by other guards rushes past it, it is captured by the immune tissue of the appendix and dies there (or, conversely, wins, and then the inflamed piece of the digestive system gets acquainted with the scalpel).
And in a healthy worm-like bladder, the color of the nation is gathered - a company of beneficial bacteria. As the American researchers have found out, this gold reserve plays an important role, for example, in case of diarrhea. In the process of emergency detoxification, many representatives of the beneficial intestinal microflora are taken out. Pathogenic bacteria strive to take their place, but since the body is reluctant to die, it comes into play appendix. Helper microorganisms hiding in it rush into the toast intestines and take up empty seats. And now the man is healthy and cheerful again.
Although most of the food resources are digested in the small intestine, the large intestine is not at all offended by his role as a scavenger. The microorganisms inhabiting it are just waiting for all sorts of hard fibers to get to them, from which they extract the minerals necessary for human life, for example, calcium. Almost waste-free production!
Nice to know that our digestive system, unlike some, will never go to bed if the house is a mess... If in 2 hours after lunch you could look into your small intestine, he would meet you with a pink-tender moist surface without signs of undigested grains, an accidentally swallowed button and similar excesses. Cleaning begins strictly on schedule: first, the stomach opens constipation and takes out everything that it has not coped with into the small intestine. And there little motor complexes roll up their sleeves, which create a powerful wave that propels everything that is superfluous to the exit. Actually, the rumbling in the stomach, which we often mistake for a symptom of impending starvation, is actually just the sound of cleaning.
The expressions “I feel in my gut” and “swallow offense” for modern scientists have a direct meaning: citizens in all seriousness call the intestines the second human brain. There is convincing evidence that the well-coordinated work of all these tubes and microflora affects the mood of an individual, his weight, the ability to remember information and defend himself from viruses and bacteria. In medical practice, the treatment of depression is sometimes limited to drugs that relieve a person from constipation or gastritis.
And the main thing: it is in the intestine that many protein forms are synthesized that are directly related to the activity of the brain... And there are as many as 100 million nerve cells in the stomach and intestines - more than in the spinal cord. And everyone thinks about you.
The entire process of digestion in an adult takes 24–72 hours. This is the norm, as they like to say on TV.
Digestion process
From the moment when something edible enters your mouth, until something unappetizing leaves the body, a lot of interesting things happen. Well, for example:
- When chewing together with saliva, the substance opiorphin appears in the mouth. It has more pain relief than morphine, so you can even swallow nasty boiled cabbage. And opiorphin, in fact, is an antidepressant, and, perhaps, this fact is at the heart of bulimia.
- So that the chewed moves along the esophagus towards the stomach, about 20 pairs of muscles are involved in the work... Some of them act reflexively, others are controlled by the brain, but their strength is such that food moves in the right direction, even if you are standing on your head.
- At the entrance to the stomach, food meets a kind of "hatch" - a locking mechanism. It is stimulated by swallowing, then relaxes for about 8 seconds, letting in the food, and then contracts again, hinting that you can continue to eat.
- The stomach of a human is not for nothing. Liquid food immediately flops into its lower section.- there its quality is analyzed by nerves-experts and quickly passed on. And all solid lumps are distributed along the long wall, where they are crushed.
- The measured swaying of the walls of the stomach and the release of digestive hormones serve to turn everything eaten into puree, which is then sorted out by the small and large intestines.
- 3-7 meters of the small intestine is the main point of food digestion... Here, the porridge is chemically processed and decomposed into small elements, which are sent through the bloodstream and lymph to every cell of the body in the form of pure energy.
- The last stop on the way to the toilet is the large intestine. Undigested dietary fibers are pressed here, squeezed out of excess juices and, in due time, are carefully removed to the outside world.
Ecology of cognition. Cognitive: The main character of the book is the intestines. This complex system is often overlooked unfairly: it works, and okay. Whether it's the brain or the heart! And the intestines ... In between going to the toilet, he seems to be not busy with anything - he just lies in his stomach and grumbles from time to time.
Once I heard a dialogue: "What were you thinking at all?" - "Zhivoto-oh-oh". The joke is not too original, but if you look at it from a scientific point of view ... This is exactly what the cute 24-year-old young lady-microbiologist from Germany did, who wrote the book« Charming intestines» ... Now it is being swept off the shelves of bookstores in Europe.
The protagonist of the book is the intestines. This complex system is often overlooked unfairly: it works, and okay. Whether it's the brain or the heart! And the intestines ... In between going to the toilet, he seems to be not busy with anything - he just lies in his stomach and grumbles from time to time.
Author Julia Enders defended her doctoral dissertation at the Institute for Microbiology in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). "Charming Gut" is Enders' debut book. Now more than two million copies of it have been sold in the world.
Few people know how amazing this organ is. So, for example, only the scientific community knows the fact that in people suffering from certain digestive problems, the activity of the intestinal nervous system is often disrupted: it sends signals to the area of the brain that is responsible for the formation of negative emotions. The person feels depressed and cannot in any way determine the cause of such a state. Often these patients are referred to a psychotherapist, but this approach, as you know, is unproductive. In such cases, to heal the head, it is necessary to heal the abdomen.
Gut function affects memory and emotions, and infections can dull fear, depression, and mental illness. It is possible to talk about the intestines for a long time and, as this book shows, it is fascinating.
I do not exclude that someone is shocked by such a frank appeal of Julia Anders to the topics of digestion that are taboo in small talk; some will find the experiments on mice and volunteer patients described on the pages of the book too extreme.
Someone will doubt the omnipotence of the tiny organisms that control our lives and live in the stomach. And to some it will seem absurd to suppose that the intestine has its own "brain" and "nervous system". But let's remember that the new and the unknown are always frightening. And we will consider this book as another step on the way to uncovering the secrets and mysteries of the human body. Practical advice is a definite bonus - following them, you can really improve your health and improve your overall quality of life.
Primitive kitchen
What is the book about. The author comes to the conclusion that food has become one of the determining factors in the formation of a person and the foundations of his existence. Man is an animal that has learned to cook and thus has taken the first step towards conquering nature. The book is devoted to the food of ancient people, the methods of its preparation and storage, the rituals that accompanied its reception, and, of course, the social function of food. The author summarizes the data of history, literature, ethnography, sociology, psychology, cultural studies and anthropology.
How do we do it
Author Robert Martin trained as a zoologist at Oxford. He worked at the French National Museum of Natural History in Brunois, University College London, Anthropological Institute in Zurich (Switzerland), Museum of Natural History. Field in Chicago (USA). Has published over 300 scientific papers.
What the book is about What does modern science know about the nature of reproduction, pregnancy and childbirth? One of the best specialists in evolutionary biology, Robert Martin, answers serious and curious questions. How to avoid postpartum depression? Can the incidence of breast cancer be reduced? Why do men need nipples? Does the brain shrink during pregnancy?
The beauty of physics
The author Frank Wilczek is a professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), winner of the Nobel Prize in physics (2004) "for the discovery of asymptotic freedom in the theory of strong interactions" together with David Gross and David Politzer.
What the book is about Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek shares his reflections on the beauty of the Universe and scientific ideas on the pages of a magnificently illustrated publication. Step by step, from ancient Greek philosophy to modern unification theory, he shows the underlying physical concepts of beauty and symmetry. The heroes of his research are Pythagoras, Plato, Newton, Maxwell, Einstein. Unlike many popularizers of science, Wilczek is not afraid of formulas and knows how to show the most difficult things on his fingers, infecting us with a sense of miracle.
The last cosmic chance
The author Anton Pervushin is a science fiction writer, science journalist, laureate of literary awards and a member of the Russian Federation of Cosmonautics. For many years he has been studying the forgotten pages of the history of astronautics. His bestseller 108 Minutes That Changed the World was shortlisted for the prestigious Enlightener Award.
What the book is about Huge amounts of money are spent on space exploration. But why are we so striving there - to other worlds? What do we expect to find on distant planets? How feasible are the plans for the exploration of the Moon and Mars? Will their colonization be of practical use? Recently, such questions have been raised more and more often. Interest in the topic is fueled by Hollywood blockbusters, loud statements from politicians and controversies of scientists. Science journalist Anton Pervushin examines the main myths and talks about the prospects for space exploration. published
A chapter from a fresh book on the latest advances in science in the study of the gastrointestinal tract, recently the attention of many scientists has riveted to it. We invite you to refresh your knowledge of the body with an excerpt from the book "Second Brain" with permission from "Alpina".
For decades, our understanding of how the digestive system works was based on a mechanistic model: the entire body was thought of as a kind of machine, and the intestines were mostly viewed as an old-fashioned device that operated on the principles of a 19th century steam engine.
In accordance with this model, we ate, chewed and swallowed food, then in the stomach it was crushed into pieces using a mechanical grinder, which was helped by hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice. After that, the homogenized food entered the small intestine, in which calories and nutrients were extracted from it, and the undigested part was sent to the large intestine, which disposed of what was left. Eventually, the residues were excreted from the body.
This metaphor of the industrial age, understandable to all, influenced the views of medicine for many generations of doctors, including modern gastroenterologists and surgeons. It was believed that malfunctioning parts of the digestive tract could be easily bypassed or removed, and some could even be swapped (rearranged), leading to weight loss. We have become skilled craftsmen in performing such operations, now they are already done through an endoscope, without resorting to traditional surgical techniques.
Brain and gastrointestinal tract
As it now turns out, this is an oversimplified model: doctors still think of the digestive system as a part of the body that is largely independent of the brain. However, it became known that these two organs are inextricably linked with each other.
This understanding is reflected in the concept of an axis connecting the gastrointestinal tract to the brain. Based on this concept, our digestive system is a much more subtle, complex and powerful mechanism than we previously thought. Recent research suggests that through the close interaction of microorganisms, the gastrointestinal tract can influence our emotions, perception of pain, social contacts and many of our decisions, not limited to questions of food preferences and the size of the consumed portion.
The fidelity of everyday expressions like "smell in the gut" is confirmed by neurobiological data. The complex connections between the digestive tract and the brain, as it turned out, play an important role in making other, including the most important, life decisions.
The connection between the digestive system and the brain should be a subject of study not only by psychologists, since it manifests itself not only "in the heads" of people. The axis of interaction is formed by anatomical connections, in addition, biological signals are transmitted through the bloodstream. However, before delving into these matters, let's take a step back and take a closer look at our digestive system (aka GI tract), which is much more complex than just food processing machines.
The gastrointestinal tract has capabilities that surpass the performance of all other organs in our body, it can even compete with the brain. The gastrointestinal tract has its own nervous system (enteric, ENS), which is often called the "second brain" in popular articles. It consists of 50-100 million nerve cells, which is approximately equal to the number of cells in the spinal cord.
The immune cells in the gastrointestinal tract are a significant part of the human immune system. For comparison, there are more of them in the wall of the digestive tract than in the blood or in the bone marrow. There is a good reason for this accumulation of immune cells in this place: the gastrointestinal tract is the first to be exposed to the potentially deadly microorganisms contained in the foods we eat.
The immune system, concentrated in the gastrointestinal tract, is able to detect and destroy certain types of dangerous bacteria that enter the digestive system with contaminated food or water. Interestingly, this redoubt of defense protects us by identifying a small number of potentially deadly bacteria from an incredible trillion - beneficial microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract and form its microbiota. The constant performance of this complex function by the immune cells ensures that we live in complete harmony with the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract.
The lining of the digestive tract is lined with a huge number of specialized endocrine cells. They contain up to 20 different types of hormones that can be released into the bloodstream when needed.... If you put these cells together, their weight would exceed the weight of all other endocrine organs - the gonads, thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal glands - combined.
The gastrointestinal tract is also the largest storehouse of serotonin: it contains 95% of this important hormone found in the body.
Serotonin is a signaling molecule that plays an important role in the interaction between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract. Serotonin is needed not only for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, for its coordinated contractions that move food along the digestive tract, but also for the implementation of such vital functions as sleep, appetite, pain sensitivity, and even mood and general well-being.
This signaling molecule, actively involved in the regulation of several brain systems, is the main target for a large class of antidepressants - serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
But if the only function of the gastrointestinal tract is to control digestion, then why does its tissue contain a unique set of specialized cells and signaling systems? One of the answers to this question may be suggested by a not-so-well-known function Gastrointestinal tract - it is a huge sensory organ with the largest surface of all organs of the body... Expanding the digestive tract, it will be the size of a basketball court, and this surface is dotted with thousands of sensors that process the huge amount of information contained in food. They do this using signaling molecules that recognize the properties of food - sweet or bitter, hot or cold, spicy or neutral in taste.
The digestive system is connected to the brain by thick bundles of nerves, through which information can be transmitted in both directions, as well as communication channels through the bloodstream: hormones and inflammatory signaling molecules created in the gastrointestinal tract, bring signals to the brain, and hormones produced by the brain transmit signals to various cells of the gastrointestinal tract - smooth muscles, nerves and immune cells, changing the nature of their functioning.
Signals from the digestive tract to the brain not only create different sensations in it, such as satiety after a heavy meal, nausea, discomfort, and feelings of satisfaction, but also trigger brain responses - signals that the brain sends back to the digestive tract to reacted in a certain way.
At the same time, the brain itself does not forget these sensations. Its vast databases store internal visceral sensations, which can then be accessed when making decisions. In the end what we feel in our gastrointestinal tract influences not only the decisions we make about what we eat, drink and who we spend time with, but also how we evaluate important information as employees, juries and leaders .
In Chinese philosophy, there is the concept of yin and yang, according to which opposing or opposing forces can be viewed as complementary and interrelated, from the interaction of which a single whole emerges. By studying the connections between the brain and the digestive tract, one can view internal sensations as yin and internal reactions as yang.
The connection between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract is similar to the connection between yin and yang - they are two complementary sides of the same entity. Both internal sensations and internal reactions are different aspects of the same bi-directional network that makes up the brain and the digestive tract. It is extremely important for our well-being, emotions and the ability to make intuitive decisions.
Discovery of the gut microbiome
For several decades, few people have followed the study of the interaction between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract, but in recent years, such research has taken center stage. This shift in emphasis can be largely explained by the exponential increase in the amount of knowledge and data about bacteria, archaea (archaea), that is, about the community of ancient microorganisms, fungi and viruses that live inside the digestive tract and are collectively called gut microbiota.
The number of these invisible microorganisms is enormous: the digestive tract is home to 100,000 times more microorganisms than people on Earth ... We learned about their existence about 300 years ago, when the Dutch scientist Anthony van Leeuwenhoek improved the microscope design. Looking through the eyepiece at the scrapings taken from the teeth, he saw living microorganisms. Levenguk called them microscopic organisms (paramecia, animalcules).
Since then, progress has brought tremendous technological changes to enable us to more accurately identify and describe such microorganisms, and much of these advances have occurred in the past decade. The Human Microbiome Project, which began in October 2007 at the initiative of the US National Institute of Health to identify and describe microorganisms that coexist with humans, played a major role in this rapid progress. ...
This project was aimed at finding out the composition of microbial components of our genetic and metabolic landscape and to understand how they contribute to the maintenance of the normal state of our body and the formation of a predisposition to disease.
In the last decade, the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract has become an object of study in almost all areas of medicine, including psychiatry and surgery, which are far from each other. In our world, invisible communities of microorganisms live everywhere - in plants, animals, soil, vents of deep-sea volcanoes and the upper layers of the atmosphere, so scientists who study microorganisms living in oceans, soils and forests have taken a great interest in them. The excitement even swept the White House, which in 2015 brought together scientists from around the world to jointly study the impact of microorganisms on climate, food security and human health.
At the time of this writing, US President Barack Obama was planning on May 13, 2016 to announce the launch of the national Microbiome Initiative, an analogue of the BRAIN * initiative launched in 2014, which has allocated billions of dollars for research human brain.
The benefits of the gut microbiota for humans are manifold. ... Most of all, its participation in the digestion of food components has been studied and confirmed, with which the intestine cannot cope on its own; in the regulation of metabolism in internal organs, processing and neutralization of hazardous substances that enter the body with food; in training the immune system and regulating its activity; preventing the invasion and development of dangerous biological pathogens.
On the other hand, disturbances and changes in the intestinal microbiome (the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract in conjunction with its genes and genomes) result in a wide range of diseases (inflammatory bowel disease, antibiotic-induced diarrhea, asthma). Such disruptions can even affect the occurrence of autism-type disorders and neurodegenerative brain diseases such as Parkinson's disease.
With the help of new technologies, we discover and describe different populations of microorganisms living on the skin, face, nostrils, mouth, lips, eyelids and even between teeth. but the habitat of the largest populations of microorganisms is the gastrointestinal tract, in particular the large intestine.
More than 100 trillion microorganisms live in the almost oxygen-deprived human digestive tract - about the same number as there are all cells in the human body, including red blood cells.
It means that in our body, only 10% of the cells are actually human. (If you include in this category red blood cells, erythrocytes, the proportion may be higher - about 50%.)
If we put together all the intestinal microorganisms of a person and represent them as one organ of the body, its weight will be 900-2,700 g, which is quite comparable with the weight of the brain (about 1200 g)... It is understandable why the gut microbiome is sometimes called the "forgotten organ". It includes 1000 species of bacteria with more than 7 million genes - up to 360 bacterial genes for each human gene. It follows from this that less than 1% of all human and microbial genes (the so-called hologenome, hologenome) are human in origin.
All of these genes not only provide microorganisms with tremendous potential for the production of molecules through which the microbiome can interact with us, but also provide impressive possibilities for variation. The intestinal microbiota of each person is unique, the composition of strains and types of constituent microorganisms varies widely. Which microorganisms live in each specific digestive tract depends on many factors, including your genes, the microbiota of the mother, which a person borrows to some extent at birth, from the microorganisms available from other family members in contact with a child, from diet, from the work of the brain and the state of consciousness of a particular person.
In order to fully understand the critical role that microorganisms play in our bodies, one should remember where they came from and how they are related to us, humans. The history of this evolution in his book "Missing Microbes" is beautifully recounted by Martin Blazer.
For about 3 billion years, bacteria were the only living creatures on Earth. They filled every piece of land, a drop of air and water and contributed to the implementation of chemical reactions, the results of which created conditions for the evolution of multicellular life. Slowly, through trial and error over an immense amount of time, they invented sophisticated and reliable feedback systems, including the most effective language that still mediates all life on Earth.
Everything we already know about gut microbiota casts doubt on a number of traditional scientific beliefs. This is one of the reasons for the interest and controversy that this topic has generated in the academic environment and in the media. These doubts and discussions, in turn, have become the reason why some people are now asking more serious, philosophical questions about the impact of the microbiome on human life.
Isn't our body just a vehicle for microorganisms living in it? Are they manipulating our brains into finding and consuming foods that work best for them? Could the fact that the number of non-human cells outnumber humans on Earth change our concept of human personality?
For some, such philosophical reasoning certainly makes an impression, but modern science does not support them. Which, however, does not make the consequences of the discoveries that have been made by scientists working in the human microbiome over the past decade. Although we are at the very beginning of the path that opens as a result of these studies, we can no longer consider ourselves the only intellectual product of evolution, different from all other living things on the planet.
Just like the Copernican revolution in the 16th century. radically changed the understanding of our position in the solar system, and Darwin's revolutionary theory of evolution in the 19th century. forever changed the place of people in the animal kingdom, the science of the human microbiome forces us to rethink our position on the planet. According to the new science of the microbiome, we humans are, in fact, superorganisms composed of inseparably interconnected human and microbial components, whose survival is directly dependent on one another.
Perhaps most of all in this discovery we are concerned about the fact that microbial constituents make a much more significant contribution to the functioning of this superorganism than the actual human ones. Since our microbial component through a common biological system is closely connected with various microbiomes of soil, air, oceans, and microorganisms live in symbiosis with almost all other living things, we find ourselves firmly and inextricably woven into the common web of life on Earth. The new concept of the microbial superorganism has already profoundly influenced our understanding of our role on Earth and many aspects of health and disease.
Do you feel it in your gut? Either you have butterflies fluttering in your stomach, then someone sucks in the stomach out of fear, then a bear disease develops with severe anxiety. Sound familiar? Today we are going to talk about the connection between the brain and the gut. Yes, yes, there are many nerve cells in the intestines, many bacteria that affect our brain much stronger than we think. The average person has about 1.5 kilograms of gut bacteria.
And the so-called intestinal nervous system, located between the esophagus and intestines, consists of 100 million nerve cells. Please note: there are more of them in it than in the spinal cord. This is the second most complex accumulation of nerves in the human body after the brain. Our brain with all its feelings, emotions and thoughts constantly communicates with the "gut brain". This communication process is called the "brain-intestine axis". Remember, eating healthy is half your health. And healthy eating necessarily includes the effects of foods on our little gut friends. Remember, food isn't just about calories and energy. Food contains information that it communicates to your genes, turning them on and off, affecting their function every moment. Food is the most powerful and fastest-acting medicine you can take to change your life. Food isn't just about calories. This is information. It tells genes what to do (and not to do).
What is the gut-brain axis?
The gut-brain axis is an imaginary connected line and one of the new horizons of the neuroscience complex. The gut microbiota (aka microflora), often now referred to as the “second genome” and “second brain,” can influence our mood through mechanisms that scientists are just beginning to understand. And, unlike the genes that we inherit, microflora can be changed and even grown. As research moves from non-human mice, we gain more insight into the connections of microflora to our brains, and important connections to mental (or mental) health are emerging. A Japanese tycoon was once asked how he would know if he should enter into a deal, and he replied, "I swallow it, and if I like the feeling in my stomach, I enter into a deal." Our intestines are their own heads, but at the same time they constantly talk to our brains.
Digestion- is a complex process, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that there is a separate neural network for its regulation. The digestive nervous system is responsible for the processes of mechanical mixing of food in the stomach, coordinates the contraction of the circular muscles and all sphincters throughout the intestine in order to ensure the forward movement of food, it also maintains a different biochemical environment and acidity level within each separate section of the digestive tract, providing enzymes with the necessary conditions for their work.
You don't have to be a gastroenterologist to be aware of these reactions, or there may be more subtle abdominal sensations that accompany emotions such as anxiety, excitement, or fear during times of stress. For millennia, people have been convinced that the gastrointestinal tract is connected to the brain and has an impact on health. Only in the last century has this connection been studied in detail. Two pioneers in this field were the American physician B. Robinson (published in 1907 his work entitled "The Abdominal and Pelvic Brain") and his contemporary British physiologist I. Langley, who coined the term "gastrointestinal nervous system."
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Englishman Newport Langley calculated the number of nerve cells in the stomach and intestines - 100 million. More than the spinal cord! There are no hemispheres, but there is an extensive network of neurons and auxiliary cells, where all kinds of impulses and signals are walking. An assumption arose: could such an accumulation of nerve cells be considered a kind of "abdominal" brain?
Intestinal brain
The professor of neurogastroenterology Paul Enck from the University of Tübingen commented on this: “The abdominal brain is structured in about the same way as the head. It can be depicted as a stocking, covering the esophagus, stomach and intestines. In the stomach and intestines of people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, the same tissue damage is found as in the brain. So antidepressants like Prozac work this way on the stomach. ”
A decade after the publication of the most popular work "The Second Brain", an American scientist confirms the assumption that the intestinal nervous system is not a dull accumulation of nodes and tissues that carry out the commands of the central nervous system, as the old medical doctrine says, but a unique network capable of carrying out complex processes on one's own.
It is noteworthy that the intestines continue to function even when there is no connection with the brain and spinal cord. The intestinal brain independently solves all aspects of digestion throughout the gastrointestinal tract - from the esophagus to the intestines and rectum. In doing so, they use the same tools as the "noble" brain: a whole web of neural circuits, neurotransmitters and proteins. Evolution testifies to its insight: instead of forcing the head to brutally strain the work of millions of nerve cells to communicate with a distant part of the body, it chose to entrust control to the center located in the zones under its control.
According to modern concepts, neurotransmitters produced by neurons of the gastrointestinal tract are not able to enter the brain, however, theoretically, they can still penetrate into small areas of the brain where the level of permeability of the blood-brain barrier is higher, for example, into the hypothalamus. Be that as it may, the nerve signals sent from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain undeniably affect mood. Researchers have begun to decipher the ways in which gut bacteria can send signals to the brain. Peterson and others have shown that in adult mice, microbial metabolites affect the underlying physiology of the blood-brain barrier. Gut microbes break down complex carbohydrates into short-chain fatty acids with a host of effects: fatty acid butyrates, for example, strengthen the blood-brain barrier by “tightening” connections between cells.
The coexistence of symbiotic microflora and its carrier is, for the most part, mutually beneficial. In particular, the presence of symbionts is essential to the functioning of our immune system, the processing of nutrients, and other aspects of healthy physiology. Using state-of-the-art tools to study genetics and body tissues at the molecular level, scientists were able to demonstrate that several types of bacteria are present in the gut, and that symbiotic populations are characterized by great diversity: up to a thousand different species can be distinguished. In addition to this, factors such as gender, genetics, age, and type of diet constantly influence the formation of an individual microflora.
In healthy people, bacteriological diversity is significantly greater, but at the same time, studying the microflora of such people at different points in time (with an interval of several months, one can see that the composition hardly changes. But in stressful situations or in response to physiological or dietary changes, microflora itself can change, creating an imbalance in the interaction between microflora and its carrier, and such changes can affect the state of human health.
Impact on health
Mutually directed connections between the intestine and the brain are carried out through the endocrine, nervous, immune systems and nonspecific natural immunity. The intestinal microflora, as an active participant in the intestinal-cerebral axis, not only influences intestinal functions, but also stimulates the development of the central nervous system in the perinatal period and interacts with the higher nervous centers, causing depression and cognitive disorders in pathology. A special role belongs to intestinal microglia. In addition to the mechanical (protective) and trophic function for intestinal neurons, glia performs neurotransmitter, immunological, barrier and motor functions in the intestine. There is a relationship between the gut barrier function and the regulation of the blood-brain barrier.
Chronic endotoxinemia (high levels of toxins in the blood), as a result of dysfunction of the intestinal barrier, forms a stable inflammatory state in the perventricular areas of the brain, followed by destabilization of the blood-brain barrier and the spread of inflammation to other parts of the brain, resulting in the development of neurodegeneration.
It has been established that microbiota, which has an effect on the barrier function of the mucous membrane and causes an immune and neuroendocrine response, can have direct and indirect effects on the function and even morphology of muscle and nerve cells in the intestine. Studies have shown the existence of relationships between inflammation of the mucous membrane and the motor and sensory functions of the gut, a violation of its barrier function when modifying the microbiota, and the consequences of changes in the integrity of the mucous membrane for the host. The immune response induced by microorganisms is attracting increased attention of researchers, given the possible contribution of inflammation to the pathogenesis of motor dysfunction in various diseases.
Depression and microflora
For example, it is now known that depression has an inflammatory component, and many beneficial bacteria in the gut produce short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, which help nourish the cells lining the gut to reduce inflammation. The microbiome was recently linked to depression when it was discovered that Oscillibacter produces a chemical that acts as a natural tranquilizer that mimics the neurotransmitter GABA (this neurodimetizer, gamma-aminobutyric acid, lowers neural activity and can lead to depression). The ability of soil microbes such as Mycobacterium vaccae to modulate the human immune system has long been known, and some researchers even suggest that this property could be used to create a vaccine against stress and depression.
In particular, Graham Rook of University College London argues that the lack of contact with our old friends - soil microbes, to which we have been exposed throughout history, but now, in our exorbitant pursuit of purity, have been reduced to zero - this the cause of the spread of many diseases, including diabetes, arthritis and depression.
Anorexia and microflora
Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine believe this bacterial imbalance may be associated with some of the psychological symptoms found in this disease, which is known to have the highest mortality rate than any other disorder. mental health. Microbial diversity is known to be a sign of good general health. Previous research also suggests that the abundance and diversity of gut microflora may affect the so-called gut-brain axis. As the gut microbiome improved in the anorexic patients, so did the weight and mood of the patients, suggesting a link between these factors.
Anxiety, inflammation and microflora
Since the intestinal microflora plays a key role in the development of immunity, it can be assumed that inflammatory processes are always quiet in sterile mice. When we consider the relationship between inflammation and anxiety behavior, we can observe that low anxiety is found in the same place where inflammation is not very pronounced, but more severe inflammation leads to an increase in anxiety.
The McMaster University team began looking for answers by examining mice. In a 2011 study, the team transplanted gut microflora samples between different strains of mice and showed that behavioral traits specific to a particular strain were passed along with it. Berchik says, for example, that "relatively shy" mice will exhibit more "exploratory" behavior when transplanted with the microbiota of adventurous mice. “I think this is amazing. The microbiota does indeed determine the phenotype of a host's behavior. The difference is obvious, ”says Berchik. Unpublished studies show that fecal bacteria isolated from humans with both IBS and anxiety when transplanted into mice causes restless behavior in them, while transplanting bacteria to healthy people does not.
Stress and microflora
One of the first studies looking at the relationship between stress and microflora showed that in sterile mice, the stress response is unnecessarily intense. And another, more recent study showed that exposure to stress in rats "in adolescence" causes disturbances in the composition of microflora and leads to more intense stress responses in maturity. Importantly, what this study found was that if rats were given a probiotic (the bacteria Lactobacillus sp) it normalized stress hormone levels. Stress early in life leads to more depressive behavior in mature rats. Another similar study showed that when stressed rats were given probiotics (the bacteria Bifiodo infantis), the signs of depression at maturity were reduced.
Together, these studies suggest that there is a need to recognize a link between microflora imbalances (dysbiosis), stress-related behavioral changes and stress responses. It also suggests that the use of probiotics may be effective in treating stress-related symptoms.
In a small study of young, healthy men, researchers from University College Cork, Ireland, found that taking probiotic preparations containing the Bifidobacterium longum (B. longum) strain reduced physiological and psychological stress and improves the state of memory. This work was presented by study leader Dr. Gerard Clarke at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). He noted that it was based on preclinical experiments, during which it became known that the B. longum strain has a positive effect on the cognitive functions of laboratory mice and reduces the severity of physiological and behavioral manifestations of stress. 
This study involved 22 volunteers (men, mean age 25.5 years) who took a drug containing B. longum strain NCIMB 41676 for 4 weeks, and then placebo for the next 4 weeks. At the beginning of the study and at the end of each 4-week period, the researchers assessed the level of acute stress in private traders using the cold pressor test and measuring the level of cortisol, a stress hormone, and daily levels using the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale. The state of cognitive functions in volunteers was determined based on indicators of neurological activity and the results of neuropsychological tests.
After analyzing the results, the authors of the study noted that taking the drug containing the probiotic strain B. longum NCIMB 41676 led to a decrease in cortisol levels and a subjective decrease in the level of anxiety. Participants reported that they felt less stressed while taking the drug than at the start of the study, and their visual memory improved significantly.
The researchers emphasized that the new concept, which views gut microflora as a key regulator of brain behavior and functioning, represents a paradigm shift in neuroscience. Targeted drug intervention in the microbiota-gut-brain axis with psychobiotics - microorganisms with potentially positive effects on mental health - can be seen as a new approach to the treatment of pathological conditions associated with stress. They believe that the goal of further work should be to study the mechanisms underlying the identified relationship.
Conclusion
Intestinal microflora (microbiota)- a huge population, important for a healthy metabolism and functioning of the brain, and communication between the intestines and the brain takes place, incl. through neural connections. Gut microflora is very important early in life and can influence how the brain responds to stress.
Probiotics(Studies in humans and animals have shown that probiotics, or, in other words, "good bacteria", have a positive effect on mood. And although these are very promising discoveries, there is no need to rush and think that we have already found a solution for clinical situations (behavior disorders and Of course, microflora is an important modulator of health and should be considered part of the complex, multifaceted communication system that is necessary to establish a healthy balance for the development and healthy functioning of the brain.
But! The criterion for gut health is not only one probiotic, but the diversity of the microflora. Therefore, normalization of nutrition in general is important! Alas, there is no unique probiotic. What to do to improve the microflora, I will write later. published
Andrey Beloveshkin
P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption - together we are changing the world! © econet
The floor is given to the chief researcher of the Moscow Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after V.I. G. N. Gabrichevsky Rospotrebnadzor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Boris Shenderov.
Bacteria - good and bad
Even the ancient Greek healer Hippocrates said: "We are what we eat." But only in our time have the subtle scientific details of this great truth become clear. Doctors have proven that the gut is practically a second brain. He controls a lot of processes in the body.
First, the intestinal flora is a whole superorganism, a unique combination of bacteria, fungi and viruses. All of them are capable of producing different substances that affect each of our functions.
The activity of "bad" microbes over time leads to the development of obesity, depression, chronic pain, and sometimes to the early onset of Alzheimer's disease. "Good" bacteria, on the contrary, support immunity and intelligence, provide disease prevention, long life, clear memory. It is no coincidence that all centenarians have healthy intestines.
Live helpers
Few people know that the so-called neurohormones are also produced in the intestines - regulators of behavior and mood. Thus, the intestines are able to produce the "happiness hormone" serotonin, the "sleep hormone" melatonin. And in much larger quantities than the brain. But for this work to be done, the intestine itself must be populated with beneficial microbes.
The most famous and important of them are bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Thanks to their activity, our body resists infections, produces vitamins, hormones, and regulates metabolism. Therefore, it is important to enrich your diet with such helpers.
The main sources of beneficial bacteria are dairy and fermented products: yoghurt, fermented baked milk, kefir, naturally fermented products, special food additives.
However, this is not the only food for the intestinal flora. For her, prebiotics are also important - food components that selectively stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestines. These are dietary fiber, oligosaccharides, inulin, lactulose. They help the body to restore its own balance. Dietary fiber is found in plant products such as cereals, vegetables and fruits.
Combinations of probiotics with prebiotics are even more effective. These new generation agents mutually reinforce each other's action and are called synbiotics. Some of these drugs are already available in pharmacies.
Enriched diet
Until recently, the correct diet was considered to be a diet balanced in proteins, fats and carbohydrates. But now this view is outdated. In fact, humans need more than two thousand different nutrients. Among them are vitamins, trace elements, amino acids, dietary fiber, oligosaccharides, bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, essential phospholipids.
Some of them can be obtained with traditional food. The most useful are berries, whole grains, nuts, seeds, seafood, fatty fish, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, celery, avocado, pineapple, raisins, plums. Also important are legumes, eggs, dairy products, green tea.
But, alas, many modern people eat these foods in very modest quantities. Therefore, important nutrients are chronically lacking.
More than 80% of people get by with only 18-20 products of animal and vegetable origin. Moreover, 75% of all food comes from wheat, rice, potatoes and corn. And the lion's share of animal food is provided by beef, pork and chicken. This is a very monotonous diet.
To eliminate this imbalance, you need to introduce functional foods into your diet. They are enriched with special additives that have a proven positive effect. These are omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-lipoic acid, curcumin, flavonoids, coenzyme Q10, acetyl-L-carnitine, B vitamins, vitamins D, E, choline, calcium, zinc, selenium, iron.