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

by Emeran Mayer

Until now, we have largely ignored the critical role of two of the most complex and crucial systems in our bodies when it comes to maintaining our overall health: the gut (the digestive system) and the brain (the nervous system). The mind-body connection is far from a myth; it is a biological fact, and an essential link to understand when it comes to our whole body health.

as the “second brain.”

your gut microbes are in a prime position to influence your emotions, by generating and modulating signals the gut sends back to the brain.

we know today that 95 percent of the body’s serotonin is actually contained in specialized cells in the gut, and these serotonin-containing cells are influenced by what we eat, by chemicals released from certain species of gut microbes, and by signals that the brain sends to them, informing them about our emotional state. What is most remarkable is that these cells are tightly connected to sensory nerves that signal directly back into the brain’s emotion regulating centers, making them

and how our lifestyle and diet may impact this connection.