A growing body of research shows that your gut affects many more bodily functions than digestion. In fact, the function of your gut is linked to bone formation, learning and memory, and even conditions such as Parkinson's disease. Disruptions to stomach or intestinal bacteria can prompt depression and anxiety.
Better understanding the manner in which your gut communicates with you brain could help shed light on the causes of and treatments for many illnesses.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
“New research indicates problems in the gut may cause problems in the brain, just as a mental ailment, such as anxiety, can upset the stomach. The gut ... has its own nervous system that allows it to operate independently from the brain ... It controls organs including the pancreas and gall bladder via nerve connections.”