Exploring Your Gut Sense and the Gut-brain Axis

What is the gut: 

The gut is your entire gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the intestines to the toilet. This system digests food, absorbs nutrients, and hosts trillions of microbes that influence immunity, metabolism, and mood. When the gut is supported, the whole body benefits. Science is now showing us more amazing things our gut is capable of. I love when it does that! This blog explores the idea that the gut is more than a digestive machine. It’s a sensory system and communication network that constantly talks to the brain and the rest of the body. Every time you eat, your gut is paying attention.

The lining of the digestive tract contains specialized sensory cells that detect nutrients, microbes, and chemical changes. These cells don’t just release hormones and wait. Some are physically connected to nerves, allowing the gut to send fast, direct messages to the nervous system.

This means the gut can communicate in real time, not just through slow chemical signals, but through nerve-based communication similar to the brain. People often say we have a ‘brain in our belly,’ and this research helps explain why. This is big science!!

There are nerves inside the gut that connect directly to the brain and spinal cord, along with special sensory cells in the gut lining that detect food and microbes and help regulate signaling. This is a complex, integrated system that neuroscientist Diego V. Bohórquez calls the "gut connectome".

I first learned about this work after hearing neuroscientist Diego V. Bohórquez speak on the Huberman podcast, which led me to explore more of his research through GutBrains.

gutbrains.com

Research - The Bohórquez Lab

The importance of this finding is that it reframes the way we look at many symptoms since digestive stress can directly affect your mood. The connection between digestion and the nervous system means we can look at hunger, fullness, cravings, and moods through the lens of gut communication rather than mental willpower. For example, when you feel anxiety or fear, that often shows up as gut discomfort. You may even notice that you feel this discomfort before your brain has even identified the “threat”.

So how do we keep this gut happy? 

For one, happy microbes, happy gut! The gut communicates chemically, helping coordinate hunger, digestion, and energy balance. Gut microbes are producing the compounds that interact with gut nerves and immune pathways, shaping how these signals are sent and received.

You want to be giving your gut clear, coherent information instead of confusing spikes. Honor your hunger and fullness cues while trying to keep a consistent rhythm instead of grazing. Focus on whole mineral-rich foods with a variety of fiber, fats, and proteins, and avoid highly processed foods that can cause irritation.

Also, because the gut is wired directly to nerves, stress shows up immediately in digestion. When the gut lining is irritated or inflamed, signaling becomes distorted. Just remember that healthy tissue communicates better.

So, to wrap this up. Your gut isn’t just processing food. It’s sensing, signaling, and communicating with your nervous system every day. I feel like “listen to the gut” has a whole new meaning to me now. When gut communication is supported, the body regulates digestion, appetite, mood, or energy more smoothly. In supporting this network, we support the body’s natural ability to regulate, adapt, and heal. 

References 

GutBrains. (n.d.). Research. https://gutbrains.com/

Huberman, A., & Bohórquez, D. (2025, October 6). The science of your gut sense & the gut–brain axis [Audio podcast episode]. In Huberman Lab. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4g7DtKQzRU29qQVPgUmaMS?si=QndhRFiZSj-ajvxJzNBjSw