The Second Brain: What Your Gut Is Trying to Tell You with Dr. Trisha Pasricha

What does your gut have to do with mood, anxiety, and long-term brain health? In this episode, Dr. Annie Fenn talks with Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a neurogastroenterologist and gut-brain researcher, about what the gut-brain connection really is, what science supports, and what your symptoms may be trying to tell you.They cover why stress can trigger gut symptoms so quickly, how the gut’s own nervous system affects the brain, why travel constipation is so common, how the microbiome influences inflammation, and what emerging research suggests about Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and colorectal cancer risk.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the gut-brain connection02:07 Trisha’s background in neurogastroenterology05:34 What counts as “normal” bowel habits08:56 Periods, hormones, and gut symptoms13:44 Travel constipation and gut circadian rhythm20:01 How stress affects the gut26:09 The gut as a second brain37:00 Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and the gut44:20 The microbiome, fermented foods, and inflammation55:57 Colorectal cancer risk in younger adultsLinksHost: Brain Health Kitchen / Annie Fennhttps://brainhealthkitchen.substack.com/Guest: Dr. Trisha Pasrichahttps://research.bidmc.org/gut-brain/people/team-member-1BIDMC Institute of Gut-Brain Researchhttps://research.bidmc.org/gut-brain/Book: You’ve Been Pooping All Wronghttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/776380/youve-been-pooping-all-wrong-by-trisha-pasricha-md-mph/ (PenguinRandomhouse.com)