All of the body’s systems work in tandem with one another. Surprisingly, the digestive system has a huge impact on our overall health and how our brains function. The central nervous system and digestive tract are also closely interlinked. Here are six additional ways that digestion interacts with your body functions.
1. The Symphatic Nervous System: Its Impact On Digestion
When you are nervous, anxious or upset about something, the neurons in your central nervous system fire up and communicate with the other essential systems in the body to let them know that there is a potential fight-or-flight response on deck. You probably notice that your stomach may get upset and you may have loose stools, a headache or a migraine and muscle aches when you are angry or sad about something. This is because of all your body’s intricate systems work together in unison.
2. The Circulatory System Connection
According to this, the digestive system works very closely with the circulatory system to assist with the absorption of nutrients throughout your body. The chemical endocrine signals that are triggered when you are angry, sad or happy also flow between the circulatory and digestive system to control the speed of digestion. Proper nutrition, regular exercise and relaxation all promote digestion and its impact on body functions, according to https://www.digestivecenter.com/.
3. The Parasympathetic Nervous System
Unlike the symphatic nervous system that links your emotions to your digestion, the parasympathetic nervous system produces the calm that allows your body to repair itself, according to this article. The PNS slowly stimulates digestion by increasing the amount of blood flow in your system after you eat or drink something. This nervous system response is ignited when your salivary glands are activated.
4. Reduce Your Stress
Cortisol, the stress hormone, is responsible for wreaking all kinds of havoc on the body. In addition to migraines, headaches, diarrhea, constipation, muscle aches and fatigue, long-term exposure to stress can begin to negatively impact the nervous system and brain function. Cancer cells also grow when the body is in a constant state of stress. Reducing your overall stress and increasing your relaxation will help to promote fluid and calm regulatory systems in the body.
5. The Excretory System
The excretory system specifically refers to your kidneys and urine. The digestive system itself works to remove the undigested solids, and the excretory system is responsible for filtering bloodstream compounds in the urine. This whole system and process work to regulate the amount of water that is in your body at any given time.
6. Malnourishment
Without a balanced diet, your digestion can become ineffective at doing its job. Malabsorption can occur when the body is subjected to processed foods for a long period of time. With malabsorption disorder, the body can no longer take nutrients from the foods that you eat. The food passes through the body relatively undigested; this can lead to malnourishment.
While scientists are generally just beginning to understand the complexities of the human body, they do know that the core systems of our body work together harmoniously and in unison with a streamlined, and seemingly automated, precision.