[olsen]

What you think is going on in your head may be caused in part by what's happening in your gut.

A growing body of research shows the gut affects bodily functions far beyond digestion. Studies have shown intriguing links from the gut's health to bone formation, learning and memory and even conditions including Parkinson's disease. Recent research found disruptions to the stomach or intestinal bacteria can prompt depression and anxiety—at least in lab rats.

Better understanding the communication between the gut and the brain could help reveal the causes of and treatments for a range of ailments, and provide diagnostic clues for doctors.



...The gut—considered as a single digestive organ that includes the esophagus, stomach and intestines—has its own nervous system that allows it to operate independently from the brain.

This enteric nervous system is known among researchers as the "gut brain." It controls organs including the pancreas and gall bladder via nerve connections. Hormones and neurotransmitters generated in the gut interact with organs such as the lungs and heart.


...Neurons in the gut produce neurotransmitters also found in the brain, such as serotonin...


The vagus nerve, which stretches down from the brainstem, is the main conduit between the brain and gut. But the gut doesn't just take orders from the brain...


Many people with psychiatric and brain conditions also report gastrointestinal issues. New research indicates problems in the gut may cause problems in the brain, just as a mental ailment, such as anxiety, can upset the stomach.


..Other work, such as that of researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, demonstrated that bacteria in the gut—known as gut flora—play a role in how the body responds to stress. The exact mechanism is unknown, but certain bacteria are thought to facilitate important interactions between the gut and the brain.

Electrically stimulating the vagus nerve has been shown to reduce the symptoms of epilepsy and depression...


Studying the neurons in the gut also may also help shed light on Parkinson's disease. Some of the damage the disease causes to brain neurons that make the neurotransmitter dopamine also occur in the gut neurons, researchers say.

Researchers are now studying whether gut neurons, which can be sampled through a routine colonoscopy, may help clinicians diagnose and track the disease without invasive brain biopsies, says Pascal Derkinderen, a professor of neurology at Inserm, France's national institute of health.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...ws_BlogsModule

[mrsD]

I'll take this opportunity to suggest KEFIR....

A friend on NT suggested this for me last September, and it changed my LIFE and comfort levels. Kefir has 12 probiotic organisms in it. And by day 3 using 4oz daily, my troubles stopped.

Daily quality of life has improved, since then.

This is the brand I use:
http://www.lifeway.net/

I mix a flavored one with unflavored low fat 1/2 and 1/2 due to sugar content concerns, and since then I have put hubby on it too. I use it as a snack before bedtime, or as a dessert after dinner. Kefir is very good, and the fruit flavored ones are just like a smoothie. The unflavored one is a bit sour, but one gets used to it (I have to watch my sugar intake). You can use the unflavored one to make whatever creative adjustments you prefer! (make your own fresh fruit smoothies).

It is not expensive and is very very helpful to reestablish normal flora after a lifetime of antibiotics and/or GI viral/bacterial assaults.

[nickvalo]

Originally Posted by mrsD

I'll take this opportunity to suggest KEFIR....

A friend on NT suggested this for me last September, and it changed my LIFE and comfort levels. Kefir has 12 probiotic organisms in it. And by day 3 using 4oz daily, my troubles stopped.

Daily quality of life has improved, since then.

This is the brand I use:
http://www.lifeway.net/

I mix a flavored one with unflavored low fat 1/2 and 1/2 due to sugar content concerns, and since then I have put hubby on it too. I use it as a snack before bedtime, or as a dessert after dinner. Kefir is very good, and the fruit flavored ones are just like a smoothie. The unflavored one is a bit sour, but one gets used to it (I have to watch my sugar intake). You can use the unflavored one to make whatever creative adjustments you prefer! (make your own fresh fruit smoothies).

It is not expensive and is very very helpful to reestablish normal flora after a lifetime of antibiotics and/or GI viral/bacterial assaults.

Thank you for bringing up this important topic that is often overlooked. Gut issues that go on untreated for months and years inevitably result in nutritional deficiencies that can lead to a number of health issues including degenerative diseases. Many people accept chronic diarrhea, constipation, bloating, GERD, etc. as part of life and wait too long before addressing it.

My mom who has had PD for 4-5 years had chronic digestive issues for many years before that including constipation, bloating, and GERD. She was also put on proton pump inhibitors for the GERD for a long time. They didn't solve her GERD, but they did contribute to her B12 deficiency, which made everything worse.

Just recently she had an organic acids (metabolic analysis profile) test run that revealed that she had intestinal dysbiosis which calls for heavy probiotics, and some degree of protein malabsorption requiring supplementing with digestive enzymes. Because of these test results we just submitted a very sophisticated stool test that measures the levels of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria as well as yeast/fungal overgrowth and parasites based on DNA sampling in the stool. The report is very specific so you can target the treatment instead of taking a shotgun/guessing approach in the intervention.