Brain Power

a healthy brain is about feeling good

It is this collection of microbial genes that we call the microbiome.

These trillions of microbes, which include bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, are together called our microbiota

We have an estimated 40 trillion microorganisms living in our digestive tract. To put this into perspective, this is about the same number as cells that make up the human body

The vagus nerve is considered to be the body’s sixth sense,5 because of its ability to detect activity in our organs and communicate that important information back to the brain. Aside from the vagus nerve, the gut can talk to the brain in other ways, including through hormones, the immune system and through our gut microbes

The brain is a hungry organ, consuming about 20 per cent of the body’s energy.

brain changes as we age, and eventual cognitive decline,1 leaving no doubt that what we choose to do in our daily lives is crucial to our brain health.

There is today a growing appreciation that the brain does not work in isolation from the body, and that problems of the mind are intricately connected to our physical health.

‘Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 400 mg’.

Butterflies in your stomach on a first date, a gut feeling that someone isn’t being honest with you, even a tummy upset in anticipation of a big work presentation: we have all experienced the connection between the gut and the brain in some form. But did you know that the gut has its own nervous system? Or that the gut is in constant dialogue with the brain, influencing your thoughts and moods even when you aren’t eating? This connection is so strong that scientists have come to call the gut our second brain, and are gleaning a better understanding than ever of how we can all nurture this connection to feel and think better.