‘Tid-bits’ of Health
W e all know our brain is important, but what are we doing to keep it healthy? We’re all getting a little older every day, and age naturally helps us lose a few neurons. I heard someone say the other day that we only use about 10 percent of our brain in our lifetime, so losing a few neurons is really no big deal. But, Dr. Datis Kaharrazian, author of “Why Isn’t My Brain Working?,” says we use 100 percent of our brain. We use 10 percent for all the things we can control with our thinking, and the other 90% is used by our subconscious mind to do all the things inside our body that we can’t control by our thinking. The inside things would include knowing our blood calcium level, what enzyme our liver is producing right now, controlling our blood pressure or digestive juice production and a million other things our bodies do all on their own.
Our brain is in communication with every organ in our body and they all work together to keep us as healthy as possible. The brain has a very special connection with our digestive system. This connection is through by a nice big nerve that leaves the brain stem and wanders around through the body checking in with all the organs. The nerve is called the Vagus nerve.
When the brain needs to tell the digestive system something, it sends the message along the Vagus nerve. One message would be, “Move the food through the intestines; peristalsis muscles get going.” If the message doesn’t get through completely, the intestine won’t move very well and we get constipated.
The intestine may send a message back up the Vagus nerve that says, “Some fast-food-chemicals just arrived and I’m bloating under the frustration of trying to process artificial nutrients.” The brain will begin feeling irritable and angry, and the person becomes moody.
When the brain begins to age and slow down its function, the digestive system will start losing its function also. The production of hydrochloric acid is one of the first things to slow down. This results in poor digestion of protein which can make foods like meats and eggs feel like a brick in the stomach. Another symptom of low stomach acid is the inability to close the valve at the top of the stomach. When this happens, the weak stomach acid will crawl up the esophagus and create a burning called acid reflux.
If the brain can’t signal the gallbladder to release bile, fats won’t get digested and the bile can hang around too long and turn into gallstones. Enzymes that digest fiber and starches may not be produced and that compromises the digestion even more.
If the intestine wall can’t receive the full messages through the Vagus nerve, the walls will begin to malfunction and leak. This allows undigested food to seep into the body and create an internal mess. The mess creates a food source for bad bacteria, fungus or parasites. These “naughty boys” love to crawl out of the intestine and into the body. The intestines try to slow the bad guys down by building a mucus wall to hold them in. The mucus in the wall will keep nutrients from getting through as well, and this results in malnourishment.
There are a couple of simple things we can do to check the function of our Vagus nerve. The Vagus nerve causes our throat to open and let the food slide down. The little thing that hangs down in the back of our throat, called the uvula, is attached to the Vagus nerve and will shrink up when we say “ahh.” If we say “ahh” and the uvula doesn’t shrink, we are seeing the results of a compromised Vagus nerve. If we say “ahh” and the uvula shrinks up to a little nub, our Vagus nerve is functioning fine.
The second way to check is by listening to the gurgling bowel sounds through a stethoscope. This is the way the intestine tells the brain that it’s moving the food through just fine.
Ways to strengthen the Vagus nerve are by gargling the liquids we drink, singing loudly, touching our gag reflex with our toothbrush, and doing coffee enemas. Lots of fun for all, right?
Until then … take charge … Sylvia
Sylvia J. Harral is a digestive health specialist and Michele Stewart-buller is a pilates master trainer. They each have more than 15 years experience. Send your questions by e-mail to familyhelm@hotmail.com; by mail to Family HELM Health Center, 379 N. Hockett St., Porterville, CA, 93257; or by phone at 202-9105.