Antonio Damasio Tells Us Why Pain Is Necessary

http://nautil.us/issue/56/perspective/antonio-damasio-tells-us-why-pain-is-necessary

Following Oliver Sacks, Antonio Damasio may be the neuroscientist whose popular books have done the most to inform readers about the biological machinery in our heads, how it generates thoughts and emotions, creates a self to cling to, and a sense of transcendence to escape by. But since he published Descartes’ Error in 1994, Damasio has been concerned that a central thesis in his books, that brains don’t define us, has been muted by research that states how much they do. To Damasio’s dismay, the view of the human brain as a computer, the command center of the body, has become lodged in popular culture.

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Paneth Cells - guardians of the intestinal tract

Click for the AI slideshow: https://sl.bing.net/hBioK3sTdDw From Google Gemini: Paneth Cells: The Guardians of the Gut Paneth cells are specialized epithelial cells found at the base of the intestinal crypts (small invaginations in the intestinal lining). They play a crucial role in maintaining the gut's health by acting as a first line of defense against harmful microorganisms. Key Functions: Antimicrobial Defense: Paneth cells produce and secrete a variety of antimicrobial peptides and proteins, such as lysozyme, defensins, and phospholipase A2. These substances help to kill bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens that may invade the intestinal tract. Regeneration of Intestinal Epithelium: Paneth cells contribute to the maintenance and regeneration of the intestinal lining by supporting the stem cells located nearby. Immune Regulation: These cells participate in regulating the immune response within the gut, helping to balance the body's reaction to both beneficial and ha...

You can buy most of this at Kroger's, I listed the pictures below. The idea is that you are targeting the gut, the microbiome to be exact. I am not going to list out all the studies but they have discovered that the right bacteria in the gut can change a lot of things including metabolic, neurological, immune responses, weight gain and many other things. Increasing the good bacteria such as bifidobacteria etc. can also suppress the bad bacteria which have been linked to numerous problems. There are products that you can buy on Amazon and these will also support the microbiome by giving the nutrients they need. Kroger's has the ones in the pictures below, you will find the Cleveland Kraut in the refrigerated section and so is the Kefir. Both of these are live foods meaning they contain the good bacteria. Sauerkraut as canned does not work since there are no live organisms. You will have to experiment with the doses; I do a couple of tablespoons of the kraut and ju...

Alphan

Educational only: Keep in mind that the system is really a networked system meaning that one system, say neurology can impact other systems such as endocrine, immunity etc. The gut contains 70% of the immune system and when immunity is triggered, it can seep into other systems, particularly the neurological. The gut/brain axis is well established and now they know that many neuropsychiatric conditions have origins the gut. Examples of this are Parkinson's disease or Autism, but also more common problems like depression, anxiety etc. There are several explanations that I will not go into but primarily, it is the immune responses that are occurring within the gut mostly due to a gut whose microbiome is out of balance. Sleeping issues can be a telltale sign of some immune triggering, insomnia is one of those which in my case is due to histamine release, that is why anti-histamines tend to help me fall asleep. Histamine is a byproduct of immune activation. The gut/brain ax...

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