ENS…Your Gut-Brain Intelligence

headbrain-gutbrainDid you know that you are really sporting two brains? That’s right. The human body actually has two brains…one that we are most familiar with in our heads…and another in the gut that most people are not even aware of.

Within the human body is a nervous system that is so complex it has been dubbed the second brain. With an estimated 500 million neurons and around 9 meters long it stretches from your esophagus to your anus.

This second brain is your enteric nervous system (ENS) that has its own unique kind of intelligence…different than your head-brain intellect.

It has long been known that this intelligence controls digestion…however it also plays an important role in your mental as well as physical well-being. It is part of the autonomic nervous system…the system of peripheral nerves that control visceral functions. Although you are not conscious of your “gut” thinking, it helps you sense environmental threats and influences your responses. [Read more…]