Most of the time we refer to our “gut” where our belly is. Just like our heart, or lung or liver, we tend to think of these organs as functional units. But the reality is that they belong to a system, and rely on that system to function.
Our heart is part of the cardiovascular system. Our brain is part of the nervous system. Guess where our gut belongs to?
It is part of our Gastrointestinal system, and one that is linked to the cardiovascular and nervous systems at the same time. It is also the only “tube” that connects our internal body to the external world, starting at the mouth and ending at the anus.
This system, which contains the entire segment from the mouth to anus has it longest ride in the Gut. Whatever flows through this “tube” is controlled by muscles and sphincters(valves) that help push forward whatever we eat toward the intestines. At every pit stop of the food, it is broken down mechanically and chemically so that by the time it reaches the small intestines, it can be absorbed by the body, to provide nutrition. The leftovers are then expelled through the anus.
It is now known that apart from absorption of nutrients, the Gut also contains millions of nerve endings not unlike our brains. Because of this, the Gut is now referred to as the body’s second Brain, and that it plays a major role in our mental well-being.
– insights from the book “Gut : The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ” by Giulia Enders
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