The microbiome as the “second brain” and its link to intuition
The gut of man is not just an ordinary organ. It contains over a hundred million neurons and trillions of microbes, makes it look like a second brain and is capable of sensing, signaling and even executing digestive movements without requiring a connection to the head. Neuroscientist Julia Kalatschmidt of Stanford observes that this enteric nervous system secretes more than 30 neurotransmitters and can act independently, although the book The Mind-Gut Connection by Dr. Emeran Mayer reveals that the microbes feed into that system, releasing chemical messengers including serotonin, 90 percent of which is produced in the gut. Whose signals are in the vagus nerve, the speedy information transportation system between abdomen and brain. Whenever individuals refer to 'gut feelings' they are probably talking about actual biological conversations. Wrapped through the intestines, the enteric nervous system houses over 100 - 600 million neurons and communicates cons...