10/25/2025
๐ฟ Did You Know Your Gut and Brain Are Constantly Talking?
The gut-brain axis is a powerful communication network that connects your digestive system and your mind. This connection influences how you feel, think, and even handle stress. Hereโs how your gut sends messages to your brain ๐
๐ง 1. Neural Pathway
Your gut and brain communicate through the vagus nerve โ like a superhighway of information! Gut microbes make neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, which help regulate mood, focus, and calmness.
๐งฌ 2. Endocrine Pathway
Your hormones are part of this conversation too. The gut affects your stress response (HPA axis) and hormones like cortisol, GLP-1, CCK, and ghrelin โ all of which influence mood, appetite, and energy balance.
๐ฆ 3. Immune Pathway
About 70% of your immune system lives in your gut! When inflammation rises or the gut barrier is compromised, immune messengers like cytokines (IL-6, TNF-ฮฑ, IL-1) can affect mood, focus, and even trigger brain fog.
๐ 4. Metabolic Pathway
Healthy gut bacteria ferment foods (especially fiber!) into helpful compounds like short-chain fatty acids and bile acids. These help regulate energy, brain function, and inflammation throughout the body.
โจ In functional medicine, we call this the root-cause connection โ because when you heal the gut, you often heal the mind.
๐ฉบ At Verde Functional Wellness Center, we specialize in restoring balance to your gut-brain axis using functional testing, nutrition, and targeted therapies.
๐ 830 S. Main Street, Suite 1A, Cottonwood, AZ
๐ (928) 852-0472
๐ www.verdefunctionalwellness.com
๐ Come feel your best โ from the inside out.
