NaturalNews) Through a recent conversation with my new colleague, Chiara Marrapodi, I learned a lot about the connection among the gut, mind and emotions. Chiara recently appeared as a guest on the November 21, 2012 episode of Mental Health Exposed. This article is based on Chiara's research.

Phrases like "gut feeling" or "butterflies" are familiar to us and although these may appear to be cliche, research shows that the link between the gut, the brain and our emotions is real.

The gut is a hollow tube of tissue, embedded with nutrient absorbing folds and chemical spilling cells. It's considered a unique system that has a tremendous impact on how we feel. Indeed, it is here that 95% of serotonin, the happy neurotransmitter, is produced. Therefore, paying attention to our bowels and tending to good bacteria is essential for a healthy mind.

Interestingly, gut microbe research has shed new light on the relationship between ecosystem stability and emotion. An article in Animal Behaviour and the Microbiome explained how molecules involved in gut-brain communication in mice are related to depression and anxiety.

Indeed, many creatures in the animal kingdom engage in bizarre behavior to acquire microbes for survival. The bumblebee, for example, obtains needed bacteria through social contact with hive mates and by feeding on their feces.

A study by the American Society for Microbiology suggests that colonies of intestinal bacteria differed between autistic and non-autistic children. Autistic children exhibit more gastrointestinal problems including severe inflammation, which has been linked to behavioral problems.

This evidence suggests that our worldview about our bodies is too simplistic.

Bodily systems are not separate from each other, but work in tandem. Current research suggests that looking at the relationships between bowel bacteria and the terrain (us) is important.

One solution yielding great results is taking mold-free, human-strain, raw, fermented pre and probiotics. This combination replaces a lost ecosystem and provides essential nutrients (prebiotics). Beware: many of the pre/probiotics on the market are moldy due to processing techniques, causing additional toxicity in the body.

A change in the internal environment allows good bacteria to create a niche in the gut; thus restoring numbers that were lost through bad eating habits, antibiotics, heavy metals exposure, radiation, artificial flavors and the myriad of additives that are found in our modern foods.

Research on the effects of antibiotics in 2008 showed that after a 5-day dose, gut bacteria were radically changed. Those that were previously abundant were reduced and those of a lesser ranking increased. Therefore, directly or indirectly, our gut bacterial colonies have become unbalanced, explaining the sharp increase in obesity, allergies and inflammation.

Just as skin bacteria protects against infection, so too the microbial community in the gut support immunity and detoxification. Herein lies the key to good health; a colony of gut bacteria that is well maintained, allowing a symbiotic relationship between our human cells and 90% of bacterial cells in our bodies. Communication between cells is heightened, communication between the brain and the rest of the body becomes more efficient and the rhythm of life changes.

Furthermore, there is a bidirectional relationship between our minds, emotions and our environment.

As Bruce Lipton so aptly explains, the lens through which we view the world is created by our belief systems, thoughts, emotions and experiences. These in turn shape our bodily mechanisms, cell factories, microbes, determining the gut, brain and emotion dance that is human life.

It is fitting to say that we are all interconnected. We are an entanglement of microbes and human cells infused with consciousness. Humanity's evolution starts one individual at a time, from the inside out. By changing our belief system and working in symbiosis with our microbial colonies, we can change our lives.

Learn more: The gut-mind-emotion dance