Health Made Easy

Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis, Strategies to regenerate the brain – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

You might have believed that every brain stops developing after a certain age, but that’s not true. Studies have shown that the brain has the ability to form new neural pathways and create neurons even as you grow into old age. This is achieved through a process called Neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.

Neuroplasticity simply means the ability of the brain to regenerate both anatomically and functionally. When you suffer from brain disorders, injuries, or degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple sclerosis, Dyslexia, etc., the brain plasticity helps to reduce the effect of altered structures.

More, the brain is constantly changing, and a unique region of the brain called the “hippocampus,” which controls learning, memory, and mood, can grow new brain cells throughout our lives. This process is called “neurogenesis,” and it continues into old age.

However, the rate of neuroplasticity or neurogenesis is affected by our lifestyle. In fact, there are many natural methods or strategies that helps to boost the regeneration of the brain, including:

Restorative sleep

You already know how refreshing it can be when you have a good night’s sleep. But it goes beyond that; sleep is also helpful in repairing and growing new brain cells or neurons.

When you don’t sleep well or you have disrupted sleep, it impairs neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. So aim for 7-8 hours of sleep every night. If you find it hard to fall asleep, you can try measures like making your room as dark as possible or going to bed at the same time.

Exercise

Exercise has huge benefits on the brain and the body. When you engage in aerobic activities such as cycling, running, swimming, and even sex, it helps to boost brain regeneration.

You might wonder how? Well, as you get the heart pumping (for over 20 minutes at a stretch), and from a routine from it, several growth hormones are stimulated in the brain.

More so, the increased endorphin production helps to reduce your stress level- something that could slow down neurogenesis and neuroplasticity.

Try new environments

Studies have shown that activities like traveling, learning new skills or language, and making new social connections, help to stimulate the regeneration of the brain.

The idea is to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself mentally on a regular basis. This triggers new neuron growth and sustains those new brain cells to stay with you for long.

Meditation & Prayer

When you practice meditation and/or prayer, it helps both your mind and body. Not only that, but it also supports neuroplasticity and neurogenesis by increasing hippocampal volume, grey matter density, and melatonin levels.

Meditation also helps to clear factors that restrict the growth of new neurons, including anxiety, stress, and depression.

Intermittent fasting

Many studies have shown that fasting/calorie-restriction promotes neuron growth, improves cognitive function, and increases synaptic plasticity.

During fasting, the shift in metabolism lowers the levels of leptin- a hormone produced by fat. This way, the brain receives a signal for neurons to produce more energy.

You can try popular methods of intermittent fasting:

• A 16-hour fast- eating dinner at 8 pm and breaking your fast at noon the next day.
• Fasting for an entire 24-hour period, one day per week.
• “5-2” model – eating for five days and restricting calories (between 400-600 calories) for two days in a non-consecutive manner.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC, to get more natural strategies to support your brain regeneration.

Dr. Nelli Gluzman, founder and head physician at Blossom Pediatrics, is passionately dedicated to helping you rescue your child’s health. She utilizes an integrative, functional, and holistic approach to medicine. This approach is one that focuses on the root cause of chronic illness in children, allowing for the complete reversal of symptoms and the elimination of long-term conditions. 

“Doctor Mom”, as her patients have fondly nicknamed her, is dedicated to helping each child find relief from their illness, allowing them to live happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. This is achieved through individualized treatment plans based entirely on what will work best for each particular child.

Working with the sickest children inside the hospitals of NY as well as running her own practice; Dr. Gluzman is trained and experienced in both conventional and holistic medicine. She is passionate about helping each child regain and sustain optimal health through a customized blending of functional and integrative medicine. Throughout this highly specialized process, the child’s transformative healing is predicated on the strong partnership formed between Dr. Gluzman and each family she treats. All the factors that influence health, wellness, and disease are taken into consideration; including the body, mind, spirit, community. 

More Info on Dr. Nelli

In this powerful interview we covered:

What the difference is between Root Cause Solutions vs. Band Aid Solutions

How Dr. Gluzman was drawn to working with children with chronic health conditions with functional medicine and natural approaches and how she got into this with her daughters on challenges. 

Why she chooses a more integrative approach and what it looks like when a child first arrives into her office or through telemedicine?

What are some more subtle signs of these issues that we as parents might miss? 

What are 6 questions to ask when searching for a Pediatrician that uses integrative medicine and other natural therapies.

RESCUE YOUR CHILD PROGRAM

10 Natural Foods that Support Brain Regeneration – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Due to the nature of our industrial fast-paced society everyone stands at the risk of experiencing brain degeneration as we grow old. But luckily, there are lots of natural foods that support brain health and help to strengthen brainpower.

You should be excited about this because the food choices you make are one variable you can easily control. You can support your brain regeneration and functionality by eating a brain-boosting diet.

Here are a few natural foods that support brain regeneration boost memory powers:

Nuts

Nuts like almonds and walnuts are rich omega-3 fatty acids, and protein, which helps the brain build new neurons and support memory building capacity.

More so, nuts contain vitamin E- an antioxidant that helps protect brain cells from oxidative stress resulting from the actions of free radicals.

A 2014 study shows that a high intake of nuts was linked to better brain function among elderly people. This food has also been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Oily fish

Fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, and sardines are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, and this helps to build membranes around the brain cells. They, therefore, help to improve the structure of neurons thereby boosting brain regeneration.

Studies have shown that people that consume high levels of omega-3s have a higher flow of blood in their brains. Besides, there are many links between omega-3 levels and improved cognition, or better-thinking abilities.

Berries

Berries are high in flavonoid antioxidants, including anthocyanin, catechin which makes them contribute many positive effects on the brain, including:

• Increasing neuroplasticity, which helps the neurons form new connections in the brain, thereby boosting learning and memory
• Delaying age-related neurodegenerative diseases
• Reducing inflammation

Some good berries that contain a high amount of antioxidant that helps brain health include strawberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, and mulberries.

Dark chocolate

You can also support brain regeneration by eating dark chocolates as they contain cocoa, which is rich in flavonoids. These antioxidants help to clear oxidative stress which is linked to brain diseases and age-related cognitive decline.

Studies show that the flavonoids in cocoa encourage the growth of neurons and blood vessels in the part of the brain involved in learning and memory. They also stimulate more blood flow in the brain.

Other nutrient-rich foods that boost brain power and support brain regeneration include:

• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Eggs
• Avocadoes
• Broccoli
• Kimchi

These foods above can help boost your memory and concentration, as well as reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic Office at Elizabeth City, NC to get even more natural food options that can help support your brain health and boost regeneration.

5 Vitamins and Supplements that Support Brain Function and Regeneration – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City, NC, Chiropractor

The brain directs the whole activities of the body, and it is important to pay attention to what helps your brain work optimally. A good way to support your brain functioning and regeneration is to ensure you stay hydrated, get the right nutrition, limit unhealthy habits, like smoking and consuming too much alcohol.

However, your diet may not contain all the necessary nutrients that are needed by the brain. That’s why it is good to support your brain health by taking the right vitamins and supplements to help it get the nutrients it needs to function properly and regenerate.

Poor nutrition can cause reduced ability to focus, a failing memory, declining cognitive functioning, and uneven moods. You may even be setting yourself up for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

So to avoid poor brain health, you need to get enough nutrients including vitamins and supplements that support brain function and regeneration.

Check out these great brain health supplements and vitamins:

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a supplement that supports brain function. This antioxidant helps to reduce oxidative stress, and studies have linked this supplement with reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

However, you need to take vitamin E in a moderate proportion. This way, it helps people living with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia to continue with their normal life functions for a short period.

But note that a high amount of vitamin E has been shown to increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.  Keep intake to no more than 400IU’s per day unless direct doctor supervision.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C cannot be produced by the body, so you can obtain them from dietary sources or in form of supplements. This water-soluble vitamin plays a vital role in brain health. It supports neurodevelopment, antioxidant function, and neurotransmitter function.

Studies have found a link between vitamin C levels and cognitive performance. A comparison between healthy and cognitively impaired individuals showed that healthy individuals contain high blood concentrations of Vitamin C.

B Vitamins

B vitamins contribute largely to brain health. These eight water-soluble vitamins support reactions involved in the synthesis and repair of DNA and RNA, energy production, and production of chemicals and molecules used by the nervous system.

Studies found that taking B vitamins, including B6, b9, and B12 for at least three months helped to improve episodic memory in people living with dementia.

That’s more reason why research suggests supplementing with a B-complex supplement for individuals deficient in one or more of the B vitamins. This works better for brain health than using isolated vitamin supplements.

Beta-carotene

Beta carotene is found in a variety of vegetables and fruits, and it is a precursor to vitamin A in the body.  

One study observed the effect of long-term supplementation with beta-carotene in males over 65 years of age. The result showed that long-term supplementation resulted in a significantly higher global score compared to the placebo group.

The global score in the study measured verbal memory, general cognition, and the ability to list categorized words.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin present in foods as phylloquinone (K1). It helps activate certain proteins associated with the survival of nerve cells.

If you have a low amount of this vitamin in your body, it can lead to low behavioral and cognitive performance. But higher levels have been associated with greater verbal episodic memory.

Some studies also show that vitamin K may help protect against oxidative stress and inflammation, which are mainly implicated in neurodegeneration.

Note that it is important to speak with your doctor before starting any supplement regimen. Taking excess of supplements may adversely affect your brain, so ensure you don’t overdo it.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to get the best advice and recommendation of supplements to better your brain health and support regeneration.

What causes the brain to degenerate? – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

Imagine returning from work and being unable to remember your wife’s name. You wonder how many kids you have, and your dog looks so strange in your eyes. Sounds strange right? Yea, that’s what could happen when your brain begins to degenerate.

What is Neurodegeneration?

The word “neurodegenerative” is derived from two words “neuro”- brain, and “degenerative,”- breaking down. So, neurodegeneration is the progressive breakdown (both structure and function) of neurons present in the brain.

Basically, the brain is made up of about 86 million nerve cells, and these nerves connect with the brain in more than a trillion connections throughout the body. These connections make you who you are, and it determines functions like, remembering things you read, thinking about your family plans, moving around, and many more.

So, when there is a miscommunication between brain cells, it could cause the brain to degenerate which can lead to losing intellectual function as their brain gradually deteriorates, and the effect is evident in memory, speech, and spatial skills.

Like the example given above, when your home starts to feel like someone else’s place, it could be a sign of degenerative brain disease. The bad part is that this disease worsens over time as the neurons in the brain die.

Some common examples of neurodegenerative diseases that affect different parts of the brain include:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Huntington’s disease
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Frontotemporal dementia
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Spinal muscular atrophy
• Lewy body disease

Parkinson’s disease causes impairment in movement. Alzheimer’s disease gradually causes memory loss in victims. Huntington’s disease deprives a sufferer of the ability to talk, walk, reason, and think, and this starts as early as in their mid-30s. Frontotemporal dementia leads to bewildering changes in a person’s behavior and thoughts.

In all of these diseases, the symptoms may start and last for as long as ten or twenty years until death. And many sufferers live a life of dependence, especially in their final years.

What causes the brain to degenerate?

Most of the neurodegenerative diseases are genetic, but sometimes, they can be as a result of a medical condition like:

• Stroke
• Alcoholism
• A tumor

Other causes include:

• Chemicals
• Toxins
• viruses

The degenerative brain disease can be life-threatening, depending on the type.

Symptoms of brain degeneration

There are many symptoms of brain degeneration, depending on the type of disease and what part of the brain is affected. However, some common symptoms include:

• Memory loss
• Confusion
• Difficulty in moving and swallowing
• Hallucination
• Difficulty regulating emotions
• Forgetfulness
• A loss of inhibition
• Anxiety

These symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases tend to become worse as the disease progresses, and there is a chance of new symptoms arising with time.  

Treatment of brain degeneration

Most of these diseases do not have a cure. The treatment measures available are targeted to help improve symptoms, increase mobility, and relieve pain.

However, you can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic Office at Elizabeth City, NC to get advice on some natural measures to improve the symptoms of degenerative brain disease.

Dr. Nirvana Tehranian is a Licensed and Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor. As a Naturopathic Medical Doctor, she specializes in Regenerative Holistic and Functional Medicine. Her focus is on helping each patient achieve optimal health in body, mind, and spirit by reviving and recalibrating health within every cell….achieving a reboot of the entire body.

She continually seeks out new healing methods through advanced training. She also works extensively with compounding labs to bring her patients the purest, most effective natural medicine made in the USA.

Dr. Nirvana received her medical degree from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe Arizona. Her education included four years of traditional, conventional medicine in addition to holistic based training. She specialized in Medical Nutrition, Bio-Chemistry, Pharmacology, Homeopathy, and Botanical Medicine. She also maintains a BA in Psychology from Arizona State University.

Dr. Nirvana is accredited and board-certified by the National Association of Naturopathic Physicians and is licensed by the State of California and the State of Arizona as a Naturopathic Medical Doctor.

On this Podcast Episode We discuss:

Basics of gut function from top to bottom

How Hormonal and Mental health are involved in gut function

Biggest Impacts on gut health:

• Dietary factors
• Stress
• Inflammation
• Nirvana diet
• Hormonal Imbalances
• Infections
• Probiotics:  good or bad

Blood Markers you can test for

Learn more about Dr. Nirvana Here

Improve Gut Health & Digesting with These 6 Supplements - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

You need to take conscious efforts to keep your gut health in good condition because it affects almost every function in your body. When your gut microbiome is balanced, it helps you get more nutrients out of food, supports your immunity, and helps you stay healthy and happy. But when your gut health is poor, it can affect your mood, weight loss, heart health, and cause several digestive disorders.

So supporting your gut microbiome is a good way to strengthen your immune system and boost your overall health.

You can try the following health supplements to fill the gaps in your diet, strengthen your gut lining, and boost your microbiome for optimal performance:

Licorice Root

The gut bacteria lives on the gut lining, and you have to ensure that it is functioning well to improve gut health. Licorice root has been shown by many studies to have a beneficial effect on gut health. But it has to be treated first to remove glycyrrhizic acid, which is a natural substance in licorice thought to cause low potassium levels and high blood pressure. A placebo-controlled study found that the licorice root is effective for reducing nausea and pain, and it heals patients with ulcers.

Zinc Carnosine

This supplement combines zinc and carnosine and it is effective for enhancing gut integrity. Preliminary studies show that zinc carnosine helps gut health by improving the ability of the stomach to maintain a strong gut lining.

L-Glutamine

L-glutamine supports your immune system by triggering the release of cytokines which signals “mayday” when attacked by viruses, antigens, and microorganisms. This amino acid also helps to repair injuries in the intestinal wall, and studies show that it also enhances nutrient absorption.

Probiotics

The gut microbiome houses thousands of bacteria living in harmony, and probiotics are the supplement form of those bacteria. When you take probiotics, it helps to build the population of good bacteria needed to help your body get nutrition and maintain a line of defense against pathogens.

However, ensure your choice of probiotics contain these bacteria strains: Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Lactobacillus plantarum. The good thing about these strains is that they are less likely to increase the production of inflammatory histamines.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics provide the nourishment needed by probiotics or gut bacteria. These supplements contain enough fiber, and it is highly needed when you can’t eat enough fiber-rich food. So the digestive bacteria perform their work optimally when they get enough prebiotics, and they help you feel more full for a long period.

Collagen Protein

Collagen protein is naturally produced by the body, and it is an important part of structures throughout your body, including your gut.

However, your body won’t be making enough collagen protein if you’re not eating a lot of bone broth and organ meats. But you can take the collagen protein supplement to get enough amino acid building block.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to get recommendations on the best supplement to support your gut health.

7 Natural foods that promote gut health & better digestion - Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

You don’t have to rely on processed foods to nourish, sustain, and grow good gut bacteria to aid nutrition and boost your health. Some natural foods can help boost your gut microbiota. Most of these foods contain dietary fibers and other compounds like polyphenols, and the gut bacteria break them down into vitamins and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

Check out all these foods that are easy to find to promote your gut health:

Apples

You might have heard the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This means that apple contains many health properties that keep your health in good shape. One of such properties is boosting your gut microbiota.

This fruit comes in varieties of colors that can taste sweet, tart, and lip-puckeringly sour.  Besides, they contain a prebiotic fiber called pectin, which is hard for the body to digest. But your gut bacteria digest and transform this fiber into SCFAs, like butyrate and propionate. These SCFAs serve as nutrients for the gut microbes to help boost your immunity and strengthen your gut health in general. 

Asparagus

This green vegetable is rich in nutrients and it is enjoyed in many cuisines. It naturally contains a kind of prebiotic fiber called inulin, which is acted upon by Faecalibacterium and Eubacterium present in the gut. Some studies have also shown the inulin increases the number of Akkeermansia muciniphilia, another beneficial bacteria found in the gut of lean people.

Oats

Oats are a rich source of beta-glucan, which is a prebiotic dietary fiber fermented by the gut microbiome, thereby promoting their growth and activity. Their soluble fiber content dissolves in water to produce a thick gel that digests slowly, keeping you fuller for longer. The beta-glucan content of oats also helps to lower cholesterol.

Green plantain

Green plantains are not so sweet, but they are delicious when cooked. They are rich in prebiotic resistant starch that serves as food for the butyrate-producing bacteria in the gut. These organisms break down the starch into beneficial short-chain fatty acids that maintain your gut lining and combat inflammation.

Rye

Rye is richer in fiber than wheat, and it has less gluten, which makes it suitable for producing tighter bread, with rich flavors. The grain contains fructan and arabinoxylan, which increases the gut abundance of Bifidobacteria- a bacteria that produces substances like SCFAs and antimicrobial defenses to support your gut environment and other beneficial microbes.

Flaxseed

The flax seeds have a tough hull, and they are often soaked before consuming. However, you can buy the ground flaxseed to save yourself the stress of processing. These seeds support gut health by promoting the production of mucus.

More so, some studies have shown that these seeds protect against colon cancer and reduce gut inflammation. Besides, they contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber content supports bowel movements and prevents constipation.

Onions

Onions are a good source of prebiotics that support your gut health. It also contains inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) that boosts immunity and prevent diseases.

You may not like onions because they burn your eyeballs, but if you want to strengthen your gut microbiota, it is worth adding them to your meals.

These natural foods and a host of others like mangoes, wild salmon, garlic, etc, work well to help you improve your gut health.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to get more recommendations on natural foods to improve the balance of your gut microbiota.

Gut Health? What Improves it & What Destroys it – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City, NC, Chiropractor

The health of your gut has a huge impact on your body and it goes a long way in determining your overall health. The trillions of bacteria present in the digestive tract make up the gut microbiome (made up of good and bad bacteria, yeast, fungus molds, etc). And they help in digestion and contribute to the health of our entire body, including our brains, immune system and more.

Below are some ways your gut health impacts your overall health:

The immune system

The bacteria in the gut microbiome play a fundamental role in protecting us against infections. The beauty is that our immune system which detects and destroys pathogens does not attack the bacteria in the gut microbiome. Instead, it works in a mutually beneficial partnership and helps to maintain the symbiotic relationship of the host with these microbes.

That’s more reason why the bacteria in our gut have a large influence on our susceptibility to immune-related diseases.  So when we eat foods that can be disruptive to our health our gut works as our first line of defense.

Digestive health

Many good bacteria in our gut help with digestion, nutrient absorption, and even more functions. But when there is a disruption in the balance of gut bacteria, this can often lead to various gastrointestinal problems, including Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases.

Brain health

You might have noticed a sick feeling in your stomach whenever you hear bad news or you’re in a stressful situation. That’s because the gut has a strong connection with the brain.  In fact, there is a constant flow of signals between the brain and the gut via the enteroendocrine cells located in the lining of the gut.

So any problem with your gut health can contribute to depression, anxiety, or stress. Research has shown that the gut also has an impact on mood and behavior.

Heart health

When you hear the saying, “the road to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” it means something more. There’s actually a link between the gut and the heart.

Part of the chemicals produced by the microbes ends up in our bloodstream and moves throughout the body. One good example is trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), which has been shown by studies to potentially cause blockage in the arteries and increase the risk of heart disease.

However, another study showed that gut microbiome helps to increase the level of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol (the good kind).

Weight gain, Obesity, and Diabetes

The bacteria in the gut microbiome also play a role in the body’s metabolism. In fact, research has shown that an imbalance in gut bacteria levels could lead to an increased risk of obesity and diabetes. Studies are still ongoing into how the signals from the gut influence metabolism and contribute to conditions like Type 2 diabetes.

What destroys your gut health?

These gut busters are destroying reducing the number of good bacteria in your gut:

• Heating and eating hot fermented foods, such as sauerkraut or kimchi (eat them cold)
• Eating foods containing artificial sweeteners and refined sugars
• Eating high-sugar diets
• Eating processed foods containing additives
• Indiscriminate use of antibiotics

How to improve it

You can improve your gut health to maintain the right balance of the bacteria in your digestive tract. Here are some simple measures to follow:

• Load up on fresh fruits, veggies, and beans, and eat more whole grains and nuts.
• Brush and floss your teeth regularly
• Limit sugars and artificial sweeteners
• Keep fermented foods like kimchi refrigerated below 1150F
• Eat prebiotic fiber like bananas, garlic, asparagus, and chicory
• Avoid indiscriminate use of antibiotics
• Reduce stress
• Exercise regularly
• Get enough sleep

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to learn more about how to improve your gut health naturally to enhance your overall health and wellbeing.

The food we eat moves through the gastrointestinal tract (a long, connected, hollow tube that starts from the mouth and ends in the anus), and there are lots of organs involved in this process. Along the way, the body absorbs the beneficial part of the food after digestion, giving your nutrients and energy. The remaining part is given out as a waste product.

A series of muscles work together to coordinate the moment of food and cells that produce enzymes and hormones involved in the process of digestion. Other “accessory” organs, including the liver, gallbladder, and the pancreas also involved in this process.

What organs are involved in the process of digestion?

The major organs that are part of the digestive system includes:

• Mouth
• Esophagus
• Stomach
• small intestine
• large intestine
• rectum
•  

These organs work hand-in-hand to convert foods into nutrients and energy that is needed for survival. In the end, it packages the solid waste or stool and gets rid of them through the bowel movement.

Mouth

This is the starting part of the gastrointestinal tract. It starts working even before you ingest food. The moment you see and smell that warm bread or pasta dish, your salivary glands gets active. After ingesting your food and chewing into smaller pieces, your saliva mixes with the food, breaking it into an absorbable form that your body can use. The tongue helps to move the food to the next organ

Esophagus

The esophagus is a long tube close to your trachea (windpipe). It receives food from your mouth, and move it to your stomach through a series of muscular contractions called peristalsis. But for this food to move down, the ring-like muscle called lower esophageal sphincter has to relax to allow passage into the stomach. After that, the muscle contracts to prevent backward flow into the esophagus, which may cause acid reflux or heartburn.

Stomach

The stomach holds food and serves as the mixer and grinder of food. The cells in the lining of this sac-like organ secrete a strong acid and enzymes that are involved in the breakdown of food into a usable form. After proper processing of the food in the stomach, changing it to a consistency of paste or liquid, the content is then moved to the small intestine.

Small intestine

This organ is a muscular tube 22-foot long, having three segments- the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. This organ is the “workhouse” of digestion, and most nutrients are absorbed here. Foods are mixed with digestive enzymes released by the pancreas and bile produced from the liver. Peristalsis is also in action in this organ, moving food through as it is being mixed with digestive juices.

The duodenum is the first segment and it is largely responsible for continuing the breakdown process. The jejunum and ileum are responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. Once the nutrients have been absorbed, the leftover (the waste) passes into the large intestine or colon.

Large Intestine (Colon)

The large intestine is a muscular tube that is 6-foot long, and it links the small intestine directly to the rectum.

It has segments, including:

• Cecum
• Ascending (right) colon
• Transverse (across) colon,
• Descending (left) colon,
• Sigmoid colon

This organ is highly specialized and it is responsible for processing waste to ease emptying of the bowels. The stool or waste left over is sent to the colon through peristalsis, and any remaining water is absorbed. The stool is stored in the sigmoid colon until a mass movement pushes it down into the rectum to begin the process of elimination through the anus.

Accessory Digestive Organs and functions

Liver

The liver secretes bile and process the nutrient-rich blood coming from the small intestine. It purifies this blood of impurities before allowing it to travel to the rest of the body.

Pancreas

The pancreas is the main factory for digestive enzymes that helps to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These enzymes are secreted into the duodenum segment of the small intestine.

Gallbladder

This is a sac for the storage of excess bile made in the liver. This bile is released via the bile duct into the small intestine, where it helps to break down fat and move waste out of the liver.

Gut-brain connection

The brain has a strong connection to the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach and small intestine. For example, the thoughts of food alone can trigger the release of the stomach’s juice even before eating.

The walls of the digestive system are lined with more than 100 million nerves, starting from the esophagus to the rectum. That’s called the brain in your gut, otherwise known as the enteric nervous system (ENS). So those moments when you’re nervous and feel “butterflies in your stomach,” the ENS is at work.

This brain in your gut mainly controls digestion, from swallowing to enzyme release and food breakdown and absorption. Although this ENS is not capable of thought as we know, it has a direct link with our big brain.

More so, the ENS can trigger big emotional shifts, especially in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and bowel problems like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, stomach upset, and pain. Little wonder people with these issues tend to develop depression and anxiety.

You can consult Doctor Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office, Elizabeth City, NY, to get mind-body therapies to help your gut function.