Dr. Will Bulsiewicz

And these 500 million nerves that we have are constantly feeling and sensing everything that's happening.

That includes the immune system.

You have 1.3 trillion cells in your gut that are literally right next door to these nerves.

They're right there.

And then feeling and sensing the 38 trillion microbes that are across a paper-thin wall

that may or may not have holes in it, which is what we call the gut barrier.

And there's the 38 trillion cells.

They're right there too.

And so these nerves get to feel inflammatory cytokines, things that your immune cells create, that's inflammation, and also come into contact with the chemicals that are being produced by your gut microbes.

And they collect this information, Jonathan, consolidate it,

all into two nerves that run from your gut all the way up through your chest, past your heart, through your lungs, through your neck, and to your brain.

That's the vagus nerve.

This is one of the 12 cranial nerves.

And then that information, your brain can action based upon this.

The chemicals that are produced by our gut microbes have an influence throughout our entire body.

And that includes on your brain.

And if we think about these individual things, whether it be the serotonin levels, which impact our gut rhythm, which affects whether or not we have diarrhea or constipation or a Bristol-4, that's influenced by our gut microbes.

When we think about the sensitivity of these nerves, actually there's research, Jonathan, that with fiber, fiber comes into contact with our gut microbes.

produces short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, acetate, propionate, and these short-chain fatty acids actually have a soothing effect on the nerves that are lining our gut.

So if you're asking me the question, like what's a natural way to reduce gut sensitivity,