Intestines are like "gas stations" and "sewers" of the human body, which are mainly responsible for the dirty work in the body. The nutrition of all kinds of food we eat is decomposed and absorbed here, and the remaining residue is excreted from here.
The average time for food to "travel" in the human body is 24 hours. After a steak falls into the stomach, about 3 liters of hydrochloric acid will surround it and "flatten" it into a paste. After 30 minutes, the food paste came to the small intestine, and the small intestine immediately began to absorb nutrients and send them into the blood.
Then, the remaining dregs enter the colon at the next stop. When the colon absorbs all the remaining liquid, the dregs begin to solidify into feces. These wastes creep slowly from the colon to your "sewer system" for 1~4 days, depending on the fiber content.
According to the survey, 1 person in China is affected by constipation. If the intestine is blocked and the stool stays in the intestine for a long time, the toxin will be absorbed again, which will make people depressed, acne on their faces and dull skin color. Toxins stimulate the intestinal wall, and intestinal diseases are a serious global problem!
Intestinal cancer is called "the fastest rising cancer in the century" abroad, and it is even quietly affecting your brain function!
○? In fact, you have another brain.
According to modern scientific research, at least some functions of the brain are controlled by intestines and microorganisms! Yes, you are right. You have another brain. There is another independent nervous system in your body. Its mechanism is very complicated, and it is often dubbed as the "second brain".
It has about 500 million neurons, but the difference is only five times that of mouse brain neurons; It is about 9 meters long and extends from your esophagus. Perhaps it is this brain that makes you more eager for dessert, cream, potato chips and biscuits when you are stressed.
Whether you change your mood, make a decision or take action, the brain above your head is not the only part you think about. Although the experimental data in humans are still very limited, scientists have linked anxiety, depression, autism, schizophrenia, neurodegenerative diseases and so on with intestines and microorganisms. Our emotions, moods and even expressions depend not only on the brain, but also on the intestines.
○? Intestinal microorganisms and the three messengers of the brain
The communication mechanism between intestinal microbes and the brain is still unclear, but researchers are paying close attention to these three magical messengers:
Peripheral serotonin: cells in the intestine produce a large amount of neurotransmitter serotonin, which can affect the signal transmission in the brain.
Immune system: Intestinal microorganisms can promote immune cells to secrete cytokines that can affect neurophysiology.
Bacterial metabolites: butyric acid and other metabolites produced by microorganisms can change the activity of cells in the blood-brain barrier.
○? Change your diet and lifestyle from now on.
From the current research, it is very important to maintain the level of serotonin and other molecules by maintaining enough dietary fiber and probiotics (enzymes) and allowing intestinal microorganisms to ferment more short-chain fatty acids! Therefore, if you want to be in a good mood, you must first ensure the health of your intestines!