The gut is often referred to as the "second brain," because it has its own enteric nervous system that works independently of the cerebrum.

The gut helps in our decision making, hence the term “trust your gut” and “what’s your gut instinct telling you?”

People think that love begins in the heart, but actually, it’s in the gut. This is why you get butterflies in your stomach when you fall in love.

Scientists used to believe our emotions originated in the brain but new research shows it may actually come from the gut. Think about that. If you were to hear bad news that a family member was just in a severe car accident, where would you feel pain? Immediately in your gut. This is where the term “gut-wrenching news” comes from.

If you are afraid of heights and you look out of a high-rise building window, you’d feel it in your gut.

The digestive tract controls our personality, mood, and even our hormones.

So, what’s the magical Oz behind the curtain that has so much control over our body? It’s called the microbiome, a group of good microorganisms that live in our gut. When they don’t function properly, this can lead to food intolerance, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, autoimmune disease, depression, thyroid disease and even cancer.

In this episode, Dr. Friedman shares why so many people have unhealthy guts and what we can do to achieve optimal health.

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