Last update: December 22, 2016
Emotions, both pleasant and ugly, function as a food that the body must digest. It is no surprise, then, that based on the emotion we feel, the stomach reacts as if it were a delicious food or not.
Feeling a knot in the stomach if we are afraid or the famous butterflies when we are in love are just a few examples of this connection between the mind and the digestive system. But is it possible to control it or minimize its negative effects?
Why are emotions and the digestive system connected?
Dr. Mario Alonso Puig, a physician specializing in general surgery and digestive system, explains that the immediate impact of emotions on the stomach depends on the fact that one of the most important emotional maps of the brain, Reil's insula, collects information from the digestive tract.
In addition, the part of the nervous system that deals with the gastrointestinal system and that lines the stomach contains neurotransmitters such as the brain. Surprisingly, the structure formed by a network of one hundred million neurons allows this system to remember and learn independently of the brain, which is why it is also known as the "second brain".
We have three "brains"
We don't have one or two, even three brains have been identified in our body. Apart from the one already known, the second and third are located in the digestive tract and in the heart respectively. In fact, 90% of serotonin, the mood-regulating hormone, is produced in the digestive system.
These three brains are connected and they work together. Dr. Puig assures that, when one becomes independent, the harmful effects are manifested on a physical level.
In the case of the digestive system, the person suffers from ailments such as irritable bowel, spasms, digestive problems ... Unfortunately, from a medical point of view, it is difficult to give concrete help. However, for the emotional aspect there are some solutions:
Eliminate anxiety
If the person reduces anxiety or sees life with more hope, frequently and naturally, the digestive system re-synchronizes with the brain of the cranial cavity.
Smile, even if it's a fake smile!
Something as simple as that, or not so much in some situations, like a smile has the ability to alter the distress circuit because it sends a message to the brain saying that everything is fine.
The “authentic” smile discovered by Duchenne in 1862, that is the involuntary or spontaneous smile would have the same effect on the brain as the fake smile. As if you received good news.
Enough of toxic emotions
Between 60 and 90% of requests to medical centers are linked to the so-called "toxic emotions" (anger, anxiety, sadness, anger, shame, envy, guilt, hostility, disgust ...) and to the release of cortisol, the hormone of fear.
Seeking the bright side of life involves physical change. The formation of a new brain tissue that allows us to reinvent ourselves and, therefore, be able to focus on the positive aspects continuously.
Just eat the emotions, write them down
The price of continually eating negative emotions can be the development of a disease. Reason more than valid to go on a "diet" with regard to negativity.
One technique recommended by Dr. Puig is the write emotions; in fact, when putting them on paper, they pass through the left anterior or prefrontal area, the basis of positive emotions.
If the emotion in question is anger, run
In case of anger, Mario Alonso Puig recommends walking quickly, thus the oxytocin and beta-endorphin generated by physical activity become disconnected from the amygdala and hypothalamus, the basis of anger reactions.
Before eating a disappointment, having a snack with anguish or dining with anger, remember that taking a pen and writing down negative feelings is a healthier alternative.
