Just how the gut communicates with the brain remains a mystery. There are many tantalizing aspects to it. Researchers have just now discovered that the stomach has taste receptors that recognize sweetness, like those in the taste buds on our tongue; we don’t yet know why or how they might function. The stomach is also rife with microorganisms—one hundred million of them—sometimes known as microflora, that collectively weigh about as much as the human brain and seem to be participating in some way in shaping our health, including playing a role in how much we eat. Sclafani, for his part, is
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