Featured Books

The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health

by Emeran Mayer

Publisher: HarperCollins Published: 2018-06-05 Category: Food & Nutrition

For decades, we've understood the brain as the command center of our body, sending signals downward to control our organs and systems. What if this understanding has been incomplete? What if there's been an ongoing dialogue between our gut and our brain that profoundly influences not just our digestion, but our emotions, decisions, mental health, and overall wellbeing?

Modern science is revealing an astonishing truth: the hundred million neurons lining our digestive system, the trillions of microorganisms living in our gut, and our brain are in constant communication, forming what can only be described as our "second brain." This intricate relationship between our belly and our mind shapes everything from our food cravings and stress responses to our susceptibility to anxiety, depression, and chronic diseases.

Drawing on cutting-edge research in neuroscience, psychology, and gastroenterology, readers will discover how the gut microbiome—that vast ecosystem of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms residing in our intestines—acts as a sophisticated chemical factory. These microscopic inhabitants produce neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine, the same mood-regulating chemicals our brain uses. In fact, approximately ninety percent of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut, fundamentally challenging our assumptions about where our feelings originate.

Read more ▼

Related Books