Science Bar: “The Gut: A Second Brain?”

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

So it turns out that our gut—that often-overlooked organ—is more than 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 trillion bacteria that are part of our biological identity. The gut itself is a true organ—complex and even vital—capable of producing vitamins, contributing to our immune system, secreting active substances, and generating 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. Furthermore, recent studies suggest that it plays a role in the development of conditions such as obesity, immune deficiencies, sleep disorders, and certain neurodegenerative diseases.

This science-society debate, part of the national Pint of Science festival, brings together three scientists and experts on the subject:

• Antoine Avignon, professor and division head in the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition at Montpellier University Hospital;
• Hélène Eutamène, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, professor at INP Toulouse-Purpan (Laboratory of Food Toxicology);
• Jérôme Larcher, internist.

• Registration is required; please click here.

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