Dr. Michael Gershon – The Gut Brain

Categories: Health & Wellness
Dr. Michael Gershon

Dr. Michael Gershon

Many breakthroughs in science and medicine will come out of this new knowledge and its profound implications. Dr. Michael Gershon, an expert in the field of neurogastroenterology, has brought more understanding of the second brain than anyone living today. He is the author of The Second Brain and the chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at New York–Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center.

The enteric nervous system, also called “the second brain”, consists of sheaths of neurons embedded in the walls of the alimentary canal, which measures nine meters from the esophagus to the anus. It contains around 100 million neurons and is equipped with its own reflexes and senses. Dr. Michael Gershon asserts that the second brain can control gut behavior independently of the brain. 90 percent of the fibers in the primary visceral nerve, the vagus, carry information from the gut to the brain, influencing everyday emotional well-being. Join us with Dr. Michael Gershon as we explore the most cutting edge research on The Gut Brain since its publication in 1998.

6 comments… add one
  • Robin Datta Oct 6, 2011 @ 3:05

    Oxalate stones are comonly formed in the urinary tract. Bilirubin stones in the gallbladder are associated with hemolytic states. The common form of gallstones  are cholesterol stones. 

    • Stan Johnson Mar 19, 2012 @ 6:11

      What is Bilrubin and what does it mean if your Bilrubin levels are high/

  • royce Jun 9, 2012 @ 17:56

    What is the most powerful herb, supplement and foods to eat/take to master the gut? Please give some names people.

    • Joe Leary Jun 10, 2012 @ 18:20

      I recommend you do some research on Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride and the GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) diet, which focuses on rebuilding the gut and has shown amazing results for people with autism, ADD/ADHD, dyspraxia, cancers, and a variety of other cognitive disorders. The most drastic feature of GAPS is the total removal of sugar from your diet, which means: no potatoes, sweet potatoes, or yams; no grains of any kind (just wreaks havoc on your digestive system); and no beans (except green beans).

      GAPS also entails eating a moderate amount of pastured meat, drinking a cup of bone broth with every meal (the gelatin rebuilds, heals, and seals the gut lining), and avoiding mucilaginous (i.e. okra) and highly fibrous vegetables (the latter tear up the gut lining unless you’ve prepared for them). Fruit makes up a small portion of the diet, and you start out eating baked apples; you’re working with a ratio of about 80-20 (savory-sweet).

      You can have dairy on the diet but in the introduction stage (there’s a ramping-up period before you go on the full GAPS diet) you generally avoid milk proteins. Ghee is okay, in other words, but not straight butter. Kerrygold is a good brand – it’s made from the milk of pastured cows. As a rule, this is a high-fat diet, and you’re encouraged to eat lots of avocados and fats from pastured animals (I save bacon, lamb, beef, chicken, and butterfat and often mix two or more together in soups). Fat is not bad for you, and it does not make you fat.

      I am on GAPS and I regularly make fresh batches of sauerkraut and kimchi. I drink fresh pressed juice in the morning that I make with a Champion 2000+ commercial masticating juicer. Under the GAPS protocol, the body detoxes until about 10am, and juicing helps the process. I add carrots, cucumber, pineapple, cabbage, and beets into it. The rest of the detox comes from taking a daily probiotic supplement (should come refrigerated!) and baths in seaweed foam, epsom salt or sea salt, and apple cider vinegar. Occasionally I make baked goods (bread or an occasional dessert) with coconut and/or nut flour.

      It’s a hard diet but it will ruin you for food almost anywhere else. I have never eaten so well in my life (I don’t even need a multivitamin), and GAPS has cured my skin problems and regulated my sleeping habits and energy patterns.

  • sally Nov 27, 2013 @ 13:38

    Hi Kim

    I have been studying naturopathic nutrition for the last 3 years or more and what is said in this interview about acid reflux is controversial. The symptoms of excess acid are similar to those of insufficient acid, according to functional medical professionals. It seems that many people who think they have excess acid in fact have insufficient acid. MDs prescribe acid reducing medication which exacerbates the problem (although appearing to clear it temporarily – as admitted here in this interview with Dr Gershon). You hinted in the interview that you knew of this.to be the case in fact but you were not supported in putting that idea forward.

    I would suggest people do their own research/seen help from a naturopath on ways to resolve indigestion/heartburn issues, which can come from many starting points, infections (eg h-pylori), parasites, food intolerances, medications, diet, age etc).

    Thanks for all these listenings though – much appreciated

    Sally

  • Adele Tate Dec 18, 2014 @ 17:41

    I have ulcerative colitis, pretty much under control, but I have alsomha e indigestion, heartburn and gas.
    I occasionally take 5-HTP to relax and sleep well. Does it cause any negative reaction in the gut?

    Thanks,
    Adele

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