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People experience stomach pain when angry, and the "abdominal brain" also possesses intelligence
Why do people often feel stomach pain when they are angry? Michael Gershon, a neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York, believes: "It's because we have a brain in our belly." An article in the German magazine "Earth" reports that more and more scientists believe that the belly is the "second brain" of humans (also known as the "abdominal brain"), and many human sensations and perceptions originate from the belly. There is a very complex neural network in the human belly, containing about 100 billion nerve cells, more than those in the spinal cord, equal to the number of cells in the brain, and the cell types, organic substances, and receptors are extremely similar.
Research shows that the degree to which psychological processes are closely linked to the digestive system exceeds people's imagination. The abdominal brain (referred to as the belly brain) acts on emotions such as joy and pain. Visceral diseases are often linked to psychological reactions, with the most compelling evidence being that 40% of patients with intestinal dysfunction suffer from phobias and frequent depression. Experiments on mice have proven that when their neurons are placed under high tension, their viscera will exhibit characteristics similar to intestinal dysfunction.
The network on the intestinal wall is the master switch for digestion
In fact, the first to discover this phenomenon was the German psychiatrist Leopold Auerbach in the mid-19th century. While observing dissected viscera with a simple microscope, he was surprised to find two layers of network-like structures composed of nerve cells and nerve bundles, as thin as cicada wings, attached to the intestinal wall. Auerbach did not know at the time that what he had discovered was the master switch of the human digestive organs. This master switch not only analyzes nutrients, salts, and water but also regulates absorption and excretion, and can precisely balance inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters, hormones, and protective secretions.
A person's viscera will pass through more than 30 tons of nutrients and over 50,000 liters of liquid in about 75 years, and the passage of these substances is intelligently controlled by the abdominal brain. The belly brain can analyze the components of thousands of chemicals and protect the body from various toxins and dangers. The intestines are the largest immune organ in the body, containing 70% of the body's defense cells, with a large number of defense cells connected to the belly brain. When toxins enter the body, the belly brain detects them first, then immediately sends a warning signal to the brain, making people aware of the toxins in the abdomen, followed by actions: vomiting, spasms, or excretion.
Scientists believe that the deeper into the digestive system, the weaker the brain's control over it. The mouth, part of the esophagus, and the stomach are controlled by the brain, while the parts below the stomach are managed by the belly brain, and when it finally reaches the rectum and anus, control returns to the brain.
The belly brain can also get sick, and it has more problems than the brain
The brain and the belly brain often exhibit the same behaviors and react synchronously. In patients with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, the same tissue necrosis is often found in both the head and the abdomen; mad cow disease patients usually suffer brain damage leading to mental confusion, while their intestinal organs are also severely damaged; when the brain's central system feels the pressure of tension or fear, the gastrointestinal system reacts with spasms and diarrhea.
The identical cellular and molecular structures of the brain and the belly brain can explain why psychiatric drugs or drugs for head problems also affect the stomach and intestines. For example, antidepressants may cause indigestion, and migraine medications can treat gastrointestinal discomfort. Not long ago, a new drug for treating intestinal dysfunction was launched on the market, and this drug was originally used to treat phobias.
The belly brain can also get sick, and it has more problems than the brain.When the abdominal nerve function is disordered, the "abdominal brain" will go "crazy," leading to digestive dysfunction in humans. Additionally, many scientists have attributed the causes of certain conditions to the malfunctioning of the nervous system of the "second brain," such as neurotic phobias and depression.
Researchers have only recently confirmed that there are more nerve bundles from the abdomen to the brain than in the opposite direction. Ninety percent of the neural connections are from the bottom up because it is more important than from the top down. Ninety-five percent of the body's neurotransmitter—serotonin—is produced in the "second brain" of the abdomen. This nervous system subconsciously stores the body's reactions to all psychological processes and can retrieve and transmit this information to the brain whenever needed, which may influence a person's rational decisions. This also echoes a popular German saying, "Choosing the best plan and making the best decisions in the belly."
People have also discovered substances related to the brain's memory function in the abdominal brain, and studies have shown that the abdominal brain has memory functions. Excessive or continuous fear not only leaves an impression in the head but can also imprint on the gastrointestinal organs.
The wise belly tells stories to the brain
The abdominal brain tells stories to the brain all day, designing emotional characteristics. Research further shows that when a person is in dreamless sleep, the intestinal organs perform gentle, rhythmic wave-like movements; but when dreaming, the internal organs begin to experience intense tremors. Conversely, stimulation of the internal organs and their serotonin cells can cause a person to dream more.
Many patients with intestinal disorders often complain of poor sleep, and the reason lies here. Does the intestine also dream? Researchers answer this by asking: Don't people often have nightmares if they eat poorly?
Human research on the nervous system has a history of about 100 years. But compared to the brain, research on the abdominal brain has just begun. Now all abdominal brain experts believe: "The human belly possesses wisdom." Therefore, the relationship between consciousness and the abdominal brain will be another field of scientific exploration in this century.
Source: http://www. healthabc. org/ forum_posts. asp? TID=507
"Gut Brain" Possesses Intelligence
Why do people often feel stomach pain when they are angry? Michael Gershon, a neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York, believes: "It's because we have a brain in our belly." An article in the German magazine "Earth" reports that more and more scientists believe that the belly is the "second brain" of humans (also known as the "abdominal brain"), and many human sensations and perceptions originate from the belly. There is a very complex neural network in the human belly, containing about 100 billion nerve cells, more than those in the spinal cord, equal to the number of cells in the brain, and the cell types, organic substances, and receptors are extremely similar.
Research shows that the degree to which psychological processes are closely linked to the digestive system exceeds people's imagination. The abdominal brain (referred to as the belly brain) acts on emotions such as joy and pain. Visceral diseases are often linked to psychological reactions, with the most compelling evidence being that 40% of patients with intestinal dysfunction suffer from phobias and frequent depression. Experiments on mice have proven that when their neurons are placed under high tension, their viscera will exhibit characteristics similar to intestinal dysfunction.
The network on the intestinal wall is the master switch for digestion
In fact, the first to discover this phenomenon was the German psychiatrist Leopold Auerbach in the mid-19th century. While observing dissected viscera with a simple microscope, he was surprised to find two layers of network-like structures composed of nerve cells and nerve bundles, as thin as cicada wings, attached to the intestinal wall. Auerbach did not know at the time that what he had discovered was the master switch of the human digestive organs. This master switch not only analyzes nutrients, salts, and water but also regulates absorption and excretion, and can precisely balance inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters, hormones, and protective secretions.
A person's viscera will pass through more than 30 tons of nutrients and over 50,000 liters of liquid in about 75 years, and the passage of these substances is intelligently controlled by the abdominal brain. The belly brain can analyze the components of thousands of chemicals and protect the body from various toxins and dangers. The intestines are the largest immune organ in the body, containing 70% of the body's defense cells, with a large number of defense cells connected to the belly brain. When toxins enter the body, the belly brain detects them first, then immediately sends a warning signal to the brain, making people aware of the toxins in the abdomen, followed by actions: vomiting, spasms, or excretion.
Scientists believe that the deeper into the digestive system, the weaker the brain's control over it. The mouth, part of the esophagus, and the stomach are controlled by the brain, while the parts below the stomach are managed by the belly brain, and when it finally reaches the rectum and anus, control returns to the brain.
The belly brain can also get sick, and it has more problems than the brain
The brain and the belly brain often exhibit the same behaviors and react synchronously. In patients with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, the same tissue necrosis is often found in both the head and the abdomen; mad cow disease patients usually suffer brain damage leading to mental confusion, while their intestinal organs are also severely damaged; when the brain's central system feels the pressure of tension or fear, the gastrointestinal system reacts with spasms and diarrhea.
The identical cellular and molecular structures of the brain and the belly brain can explain why psychiatric drugs or drugs for head problems also affect the stomach and intestines. For example, antidepressants may cause indigestion, and migraine medications can treat gastrointestinal discomfort. Not long ago, a new drug for treating intestinal dysfunction was launched on the market, and this drug was originally used to treat phobias.
The belly brain can also get sick, and it has more problems than the brain.When the abdominal nerve function is disordered, the "abdominal brain" will go "crazy," leading to digestive dysfunction in humans. Additionally, many scientists have attributed the causes of certain conditions to the malfunctioning of the nervous system of the "second brain," such as neurotic phobias and depression.
Researchers have only recently confirmed that there are more nerve bundles from the abdomen to the brain than in the opposite direction. Ninety percent of the neural connections are from the bottom up because it is more important than from the top down. Ninety-five percent of the body's neurotransmitter—serotonin—is produced in the "second brain" of the abdomen. This nervous system subconsciously stores the body's reactions to all psychological processes and can retrieve and transmit this information to the brain whenever needed, which may influence a person's rational decisions. This also echoes a popular German saying, "Choosing the best plan and making the best decisions in the belly."
People have also discovered substances related to the brain's memory function in the abdominal brain, and studies have shown that the abdominal brain has memory functions. Excessive or continuous fear not only leaves an impression in the head but can also imprint on the gastrointestinal organs.
The wise belly tells stories to the brain
The abdominal brain tells stories to the brain all day, designing emotional characteristics. Research further shows that when a person is in dreamless sleep, the intestinal organs perform gentle, rhythmic wave-like movements; but when dreaming, the internal organs begin to experience intense tremors. Conversely, stimulation of the internal organs and their serotonin cells can cause a person to dream more.
Many patients with intestinal disorders often complain of poor sleep, and the reason lies here. Does the intestine also dream? Researchers answer this by asking: Don't people often have nightmares if they eat poorly?
Human research on the nervous system has a history of about 100 years. But compared to the brain, research on the abdominal brain has just begun. Now all abdominal brain experts believe: "The human belly possesses wisdom." Therefore, the relationship between consciousness and the abdominal brain will be another field of scientific exploration in this century.
Source: http://www. healthabc. org/ forum_posts. asp? TID=507