The Science Behind "Gut Feelings"

You’ve heard of the term “gut feeling” or “gut instinct.” And while it’s something we all understand to be true from experience, it is a proven scientific truth — not just a metaphor to describe intuition.

In her book The Source, Dr. Tara Swart, an Oxford-trained MD and PhD neuroscientist, describes the relationship between the gut and the brain. This is something called the “gut-brain axis.” And it does way more than just tell us when we’re hungry.

The gut-brain axis plays a key role in our mood, energy levels, and other critical biological functions we wouldn’t necessarily associate with our gut.

The Science of "Gut Feelings"

You likely know that serotonin is the “feel-good” hormone.

It plays a key role in mood and sleep, as well as a few surprising factors like wound healing, bone health, blood clotting, and even how we digest the foods we eat.

What you may not know is that 90% of our serotonin is produced in the gut.

Having a healthy gut microbiome — the ecosystem of microbes that live in our intestines — doesn’t just affect our digestion. It also helps sharpen our thinking, reduce mental clutter, and improve our overall cognitive function.

In fact, some studies have indicated that up to 80% of people with mood disorders could have gut inflammation.

The key takeaway?

Any feelings of lethargy, mental fogginess, or mood dysregulation may begin in our gut — not in our brain.

So, if you want to improve the way your mind works, your best first course of action is to address how your body works. And according to emerging scientific research, that likely means beginning with optimizing your gut health.

The Best Way to Optimize Gut Health

When it comes to optimizing gut health, an anti-inflammatory diet and exercise are always great places to start. But many people turn to probiotics to support their gut microbiome.

Taking a probiotic is just a way to add more “good” bacteria to your gut.

The problem is that many probiotic formulas tend to be low quality. Because of the manufacturing process, many of the living “good bacteria” in a probiotic formula can be dead on arrival.

Beyond that, taking probiotics is like sending more workers to a factory. You may have more “good bacteria” working in your gut, but that doesn’t mean they’re delivering better results.

Postbiotics are different.

They are the beneficial compounds produced by a healthy gut microbiome. These include nutrients like vitamins, amino acids, and short-chain fatty acids.

Going back to the factory analogy, postbiotics are the products produced by the workers on the assembly line.

In short, postbiotics are what drive the actual benefit of taking a probiotic.

Taking a postbiotic formula allows you to skip the middleman to get those benefits — and rebalance your gut more effectively.

Final Thoughts

Having a healthy gut microbiome isn't just about better digestion or fewer digestive symptoms.

When you prioritize optimizing your gut health, it can come with cognitive and performance benefits, including better focus, improved mood, and a more robust immune system.

While proper diet and exercise are critical for gut health, they aren't the only solutions.

Taking probiotics isn't a bad idea. But in many cases, these products can fall short. Remember, even with a high-quality probiotic formula, you're just adding more "good bacteria" to your gut microbiome and hoping for the best.

That’s why we developed our award-winning postbiotic formula, Gut Clinic™.

It combines four patented, science-backed ingredients to support total digestive and immune health optimization — and help put an end to stubborn digestive symptoms.

When nothing else works for stubborn digestive issues, Gut Clinic™ does.

Click the button below to learn more.