Science Bar “The gut: a second brain?”

Le Black-Sheep – 21, Boulevard Louis Blanc, 34000 Montpellier.

So our gut, that unloved organ, is not just a simple tube and a digestive machine! Many microbiologists, gastroenterologists, and neurobiologists now agree that the gut and its microbiota can be described as a "second brain."

This organ is home to up to 100,000 billion bacteria that form part of our biological identity. The intestine is a complex, vital organ in its own right, capable of providing vitamins, contributing to our immune system, secreting active substances, and expressing sensations.

We now know that there are 200 million neurons in the gut and that this enteric nervous system communicates closely with the central nervous system. In addition, recent studies reveal that it may play a role in the onset of diseases such as obesity, immune deficiencies, sleep disorders, and certain neurodegenerative diseases.

This science-society debate, which is part of the national Pint of Science festival, brings together three scientists and specialists in the field:

• Antoine Avignon, professor, head of the Endocrinology-Diabetology-Nutrition Department at Montpellier University Hospital;
• Hélène Eutamène, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor at INP Toulouse-Purpan (Food Toxicology Laboratory);
• Jérôme Larcher, internist.

• Registration is required by clicking here.

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