The Fascinating Life Of Intestinal Neurons

Sometimes what happens in the human body is even more fascinating than how the universe works. For example, the brain remains a mystery to scientists in many ways. Another infinitely complex system is the digestive system and intestinal neurons that do everything from determining your mood to protecting your health.

If you want to understand the importance of this “second brain”, you should consider this information. The nervous system in the intestine has up to five times more nerve cells than the spinal cord. This extremely complex neural network houses hundreds of millions of neurons.

If that weren’t enough, your gut is in constant contact with the brain and mediates important functions such as serotonin production. There is also another important player in this mindset: the gut microbiota, which is important in what is still a mysterious conversation between your stomach and your brain.

Thanks to modern science, we know the answers to some of the questions about the gut-brain connection. Let’s dive right in!

Intestinal neurons affect well-being and health

Intestinal neurons are important for the digestive, hormonal, immune and metabolic systems. They are also essential for your mental health. In recent years, researchers have discovered a link between certain depressive disorders and changes in the vast ecosystem that is your gut.

A study from Üsküdar University in Istanbul reveals that neural networks and microorganisms in your gut are essential for the production and distribution of neuroactive substances such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (BABA). Any problem in these systems can affect your mood.

As scientists focus their microscopes more and more on these hidden worlds, they discover amazing things about the body. For example, each of us has a complex neural network in the intestinal tract that works with the brain. Let’s learn more.

Why do you have neurons in the enteric nervous system?

The enteric nervous system includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, etc. We know that the digestive tract and intestines have a broad neural network. A study from Harvard University published in Nature Magazine has managed to map these neurons in humans and animals.

• For a long time, researchers believed that the cells in the intestinal nervous system you were born with are the same as you have when you die. Today we know that is not entirely true. Some of these intestinal cells may actually regenerate.
• It is also worth mentioning that the enteric nervous system has several types of neurons.

You may ask yourself why humans have such a large variety of nerve cells. The answer is simple. The cells in the gut work together with the brain to protect you from disease, perform important digestive functions, metabolic conditions and hormonal problems and regulate emotions.

What do intestinal neurons do?

The fact that your gut has more than 100 million neurons makes it function like a new brain. However, you should understand an important aspect. The neural system in the gut does not think, reason, solve problems or write poetry. Yet it regulates your emotional state.

The motor neurons and the sensory neurons are present in the intestine. They gather in two places: Auerbach’s plexus and Meissner’s plexus.

1. Plexus submucosus or Meissner’s plexus – stimulation of hormone and enzyme

This nerve cell network extends from the esophagus to the anus. It is responsible for facilitating hormone secretion, enzyme secretion and all important substances for digestive processes. This first network performs mainly stimulating tasks.

2. Plexus myentericus or Auerbach’s plexus, the brain’s chemistry laboratory

Auerbach’s plexus is the most important for this system because this group of intestinal neurons is the one that has a direct connection to the central nervous system. Accordingly, this area includes afferent or sensory neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons.

Its features are:

• Regulation of gastrointestinal movements.
• Connect the gallbladder, pancreas and even lymph nodes in the circulatory system.
• Intestinal neurons are real chemistry laboratories. They stimulate the production of serotonin, dopamine, opiates for pain, etc.
• This nervous network is also able to detect the presence of bacteria and trigger processes to eliminate them, such as diarrhea. It makes these decisions without having to receive instructions from the brain.

• 70 percent of immune cells live in the gut.
• We know that intestinal neurons can respond to inflammation in the intestinal tissue by activating immune cells.

The connection between the brain and the intestinal cells

The communication between the brain and the intestinal cells is two-way. In other words, there is a direct and constant data exchange through a specific neural network, which means that the messages arrive almost immediately.

In a recent study conducted by Dr. Diego Bohordez, researchers discovered that communication takes place through the vagus nerve, which connects to the brainstem. Glutamate, a neurotransmitter, helps the process by optimizing communication between the gut and the brain.

On the other hand, researchers have discovered that these messages move at a speed of 100 milliseconds, faster than a single blink. Thanks to this supercommunication network, the brain can regulate digestive, metabolic and hormonal processes.

Intestinal cells send up to 90% more information to the brain than the brain sends to the gut. Intuitively, it suggests that the enteric nervous system makes many independent decisions. The intestinal neurons, together with the microbiome, are essential for protecting us from disease and regulating our mood through serotonin production.

Finally, we still have a lot to learn about the gut-brain connection. We do not have conclusive evidence for, for example, how the intestinal microbiota determines behavior. Yet we find out more and more every day, which will enable us to take better care of ourselves and each other.