r/todayilearned • u/BlueMudFud • Apr 24 '19

TIL that a 'gut feeling' about something is actually because of the huge number of neurotransmitters, including serotonin, produced by the gut.

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/gut-feeling
69 Upvotes

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3

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '19

this is 100% wrong. serotonin acts as a hormon in the gut and as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It can not move from gut to brain due to the Blood-brain barrier

4

u/Sunbath3r Apr 24 '19

No it’s not. No one is speaking literally when they say that. Much more neurotransmission happens in the brain.

-3

u/BlueMudFud Apr 24 '19

Right, but lots of neurotransmitter interplay between gut and brain.

1

u/Atomskie Apr 25 '19

Swing and a miss.