Why science says to listen to your gut

For centuries, treating neurological conditions meant developing therapies or drugs that directly targeted the brain. Today, scholars like Sarkis Mazmanian argue that research, drugs, and therapy should actually focus on the gut. Sarkis explains that the gut and brain have a unique connection that allows for communication past the brain's main line of defense - the blood brain barrier. Many molecules that cross over the blood brain barrier are created by the gut microbiome, meaning that the brain and gut directly influence one another.

Watch Sarkis' TEDMED 2018 Talk to learn how the gut-brain pathway may lead us to discover causes behind, and even treatments for, life-altering conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parkinson's Disease. By understanding communication between the gut and the brain, we may be able to change the course of neurological disease for generations.