Over the past decade or so, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children diagnosed with compromised brain function which include conditions such as ADHD, autism, cognitive problems, alongside an increase in depression and anxiety.
So, what is it about the modern lifestyle that is so destructive to the health of our children’s brain function?
The gut as key to mental development
Research papers backed by clinical experience indicate there is a definite connection between gut health and brain function. In fact, the gut and brain originate from the same area in the embryo. Therefore, children who suffer from any one of the childhood conditions which impacts gut health such as constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, nausea or tummy pains may also experience disruption to their brain function.
The second brain in the gut
Interwoven within the wall of the gut is the second largest part of the nervous system called the Enteric Nervous System (or ENS for short). The ENS that resides in the gut is directly connected to the brain.
To keep this simple, we will call the brain in the head the main brain and the brain in the gut our second brain. While these two brains have different responsibilities, they work in unison with each other. The second brain in the gut can’t complete a crossword puzzle or write a shopping list. It’s not capable of the type of functions we associate with the main brain. Instead, it has a completely different set of tasks to perform within the digestive system.
When the gut speaks the brain listens
The main brain in the skull and the second brain in the gut are connected by an extensive network of billions of nerve cells. These nerve cells transmit information and allow the main brain to communicate to various compartments within itself and also send messages to other parts of the body.
The super-highway
The super-highway of nerve cells provides a framework to transport information backwards and forwards between the gut and the brain along a pathway known as the Vagus nerve. These two brains are constantly chattering and this allows the main brain to act as a watchdog, to supervise the complex daily functions of the gut.
And the brain talks back to the gut
We have all experienced the sensations of the main brain communicating with the second brain, maybe without realising it. Most of us can relate to feelings of nausea, knots in the pit of the stomach or that gut-wrenching feeling that accompanies anxiety and nervousness. When our main brain registers that we are out of our comfort zone, our second brain in the gut instantly registers this information which results in those uncomfortable gut sensations we associate with stress, like ‘butterflies’ in the tummy.
An inflamed gut = an inflamed brain
This two-way exchange can bring about changes to the main brain. Research confirms that kids with learning difficulties and behavioural problems are significantly more prone to digestive upsets such as constipation and/or diarrhoea than kids who don’t exhibit these symptoms. Unhappy messages from the gut can wreak havoc and cause profound and unexpected results to the emotional and cognitive centres in the main brain.
By Fiona Stock, Naturopath and Nutritionist at The Children’s Naturopath
Check out where Mama has been shopping!
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links there is no extra cost to you but MamaMag will be paid a small commission on your sales which helps us to keep MamaMag free!