By Lisa Marshall

We get “butterflies in our stomach” when we’re nervous, “choke up” when we’re about to cry, and have a “gut feeling” when something just doesn’t seem right. We turn to “comfort food” when we’re depressed and forget to eat when we are stressed.

But even though these phrases underscore our intuitive grasp of the link between our emotions and our digestive system, Western medicine has only recently begun to understand how connected the two truly are—and how calming one can have a profound impact on the other.

“The gut literally has a mind of its own, and it is intimately, almost instantaneously, connected with the one in our brain,” says gastroenterologist Anil Minocha, MD, author of Natural Stomach Care (Avery, 2003).

Roughly one in five Americans suffer from “functional” digestive disorders, meaning their plumbing is structurally fine, but its function is painfully flawed. The most common is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can include chronic diarrhea, constipation, pain, and bloating. Then there are those who may not have a diagnosable disorder but suffer heartburn or a queasy stomach every time they have to give a speech or get on a plane. Thus far, conventional treatments (such as fiber and over-the-counter medications) have a poor track record, often causing another aggravating symptom as they fix the first (fiber can lead to bloating; diarrhea medication can cause nausea). Last year, the FDA pulled the IBS prescription drug Zelnorm off the market after studies linked it to heart attack and stroke risk. With few options, more patients are turning to psychosocial approaches, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), relaxation techniques, and hypnotherapy—and seeing powerful results.

“The magnitude of improvement that has been reported with psychological treatments [for IBS] seems to be similar to or greater than that reported with medications,” stated an article in the April issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. That’s not to say IBS is “all in your head.” Rather, it seems, your gut is smarter than you think.

A mind of its own
A decade ago, Columbia University neurobiologist Michael D. Gershon, MD, coined the phrase “the second brain,” to describe the intricate web of nerve cells and fibers lurking within the wall of the gut. With 100 million-plus nerve cells (more than in any other organ, including the spinal cord) and a prolific chemical factory churning out all the same neurotransmitters found in the brain (including more than 90 percent of the body’s serotonin), the lowly gut is remarkably sensitive and “rich and brain-like in its complexity,” Gershon says. Animal research has shown that when the gut is disconnected entirely from the brain, it will still writhe in a downward motion, tightening at the oral side and loosening on the anal side (called the peristaltic reflex) when exposed to pressure from the inside (which makes it think it has food in it). Unlike other organs, which respond like puppets to a string-pulling brain, the gut has its own “enteric nervous system,” which kicks in at the first smell of a juicy hamburger or—unfortunately for some—the first inkling of a perceived threat.

In the case of that fragrant burger, digestive enzymes and stomach acid will flow, unbeknownst to us, before our first bite. In the case