When people refer to the gut as the “second brain,” they’re not just speaking metaphorically. The second brain in your gut is the enteric nervous system (ENS), and it comprises over 100 million nerve cells in constant communication with the brain in your head. Hence, you get a stomachache when you’re nervous or excited.1Scientists call this the gut–brain connection, and it plays a significant role in your physical and emotional health. Your gut and brain are connected via your vagus nerve, which is also responsible for sending messages to many of your other organs, including your heart and lungs.2One of the most important components in how these messages are transmitted and received is your gut’s microbiome, which is made up of microorganisms, including fungi, viruses, and bacteria. Most of these microorganisms are good for you and help your body digest food and regulate your immune system.3,4,5However, an imbalance in your microbiome can also contribute to, or affect, certain illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.6,7,8,9
The health of your gut’s microbiome is affected by many different factors, but genetics, lifestyle, and diet play a primary role. The good news is there’s plenty you can do to help maintain and improve your gut’s healthy balance of microbes. Here are three easy ways to achieve this:10,11
- Exercise regularly – studies show that exercise can increase the number of beneficial microbial species that exist in the gut;
- Eat a nutritious diet – opt for whole foods rich in fiber rather than food that’s over-processed and high in fat and sugar, which can destroy certain types of good bacteria;
- Take a probiotic supplement like Culturelle® Digestive Daily Probiotic.
Culturelle® Digestive Daily Probiotic includes the most clinically studied probiotic strain* Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, which is strong enough to survive stomach acid and deliver the probiotics directly to the intestines. Compared to many other probiotics, Culturelle® is also affordable and allergy friendly, and each product is manufactured, packaged and protected to ensure the survivability of the probiotics and thus shelf-stable without refrigeration.**
