My Dad used to say, “trust your gut”. Essentially, he meant that we should trust our instincts when making important decisions. Normally we associate decision-making with our brains, not our stomach. However, did you know that our brains and stomachs actually do communicate with each other?

Running between the brain and the stomach is a thick cable of neurons called the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is responsible for regulating your heart rate, breathing and digestion! It doesn’t stop there: our digestive tract consists of a network of millions of neurons that all work together to help take care of our gut.

According to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation, our gut microbiota produces over 95% of serotonin (aka. “the happy chemical”). Serotonin directly impacts our mood. When we go outside, exercise, or spend time with loved ones, we get a serotonin boost that makes us feel good.

So even though your gut can’t help you solve crosswords, it does play a big role in impacting how you feel. Next time you do something that leaves you feeling good afterwards, give your gut some credit. After all, it knows how to help you feel better.

By Peter Yurek, BSc. Phm.