Gut Health and Why It Matters
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard the term gut health. It’s kind of a buzz word lately. Maybe you’ve even heard that your gut is like your second brain. But what does that mean and why does it matter?
Why Is Your Gut Called Your 2nd Brain?
If you’ve heard about gut health, then you may have also heard that your gut is considered your 2nd brain. This term, second brain, refers to the enteric nervous system (ENS) — a network of over 500 million neurons that line your gastrointestinal tract from oesophagus to anus. That’s more neurons than in the spinal cord.
The ENS can control gut behaviour — such as muscle contractions, enzyme secretion, and nutrient absorption — without needing instructions from the brain. Researchers have found that even when the vagus nerve (which links the brain and gut) is severed, the ENS can still function.
This independent system can sense the environment inside the gut, react to changes, and even learn from past experiences — which is why scientists sometimes call it a “mini-brain”.
The ENS even uses many of the same neurotransmitters as the brain - including serotonin, dopamine, and GABA. In fact, 90-95% of your body’s serotonin can be found in your gut, which helps to regulate bowel movements, pain sensitivity, and mood.
Far from being just a digestive organ, the gut also plays a key role in:
Mood regulation: Through serotonin and other neurotransmitters
Stress response: By signalling cortisol release through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
Cognitive health: Influencing memory, learning, and even neurodegenerative disease risk.
Immunity and inflammation: About 70% of your immune system is located in the gut lining.
Decision-making: Gut instincts are real — they’re guided by subconscious signals from your enteric system [7]
This means when your gut is out of balance, it may affect more than just digestion. You might notice mood swings, brain fog, sleep problems, or even immune issues.
How To Support Your Second Brain
Feed it with Prebiotics. Prebiotics are fibers that aren’t digestible by your body but can help good bacteria grow in your gut.
Prebiotics are types of fiber that “feed” the good bacteria in your gut, helping flourish. Foods like garlic, onions, bananas, apples, whole oats and chia seeds are all excellent sources of fiber that feed the good bacteria in your gut.
Include Fermented Foods.
Foods like kefir, yogurt, kimchi, and sour kraut are probiotic-rich and introduce live bacteria that interact with the ENS.
Manage stress.
Chronic stress can disrupt gut-brain communication and trigger inflammation. Practices like mindfulness and breathing exercises can help calm the ENS.
Limit ultra-processed foods.
Diets high in sugar, additives, and artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on your gut microbiome and ultimately alter neurotransmitter production.
Consider probiotic supplements.
Certain probiotic strains have been shown to support mental well-being by interacting with the gut-brain axis. Finding a good quality supplement
The conclusion
Your gut is far more than a digestive tube — it’s a thinking, sensing, and communicating organ in its own right. This “second brain” plays a vital role in emotional balance, stress resilience, and mental clarity.
When supported with the right diet, lifestyle, and microbial care, your gut can help you feel better not just physically — but emotionally and mentally too.
Xo, Liz