Talking about the autonomic nervous system ~ Nutritionist's Column Vol.36

In this column, I will talk about the commonly heard term "autonomic nervous system," which I also mentioned in my previous column about sleep and immunity.
Sleep and immunity - Nutritionist's Column Vol.18 (Part 1)
Food to improve the quality of your sleep ~ Nutritionist's Column Vol.18 (Part 2)

There are countless nerves in our body.
Nerves spread like a mesh network to every part of the body, and various commands and information travel through them to keep the body functioning normally.
The nervous system is broadly divided into the "central nervous system" located in the brain and spinal cord, and the "peripheral nervous system" located throughout the body.
The peripheral nerves are further divided into somatic nerves and autonomic nerves.

What is the Central Nervous System?

It consists of the brain (cerebrum, cerebellum, midbrain, diencephalon, pons, and medulla oblongata) and the spinal cord.
From the cerebrum to the spinal cord, it is responsible for higher functions including thinking, and also plays a central role in integrating and controlling the entire nervous system.

What are Peripheral Nerves?

The peripheral nerves are involved in various functions of the body and are broadly divided into two categories: the somatic nerves and the autonomic nerves .

*Somatic nerves <br data-mce-fragment="1">The somatic nerves are further divided into two types: sensory nerves and motor nerves .
These nerves are mainly involved in motor functions, and can be controlled intentionally, just as we can freely control our arms and legs.

<Sensory nerves>
It transmits information captured by the sensory organs, such as sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch, to the central nervous system.

＜Motor skills＞
The body moves by transmitting impulses from the central nervous system to the muscles, causing them to contract.

*Autonomic nervous system <br>The autonomic nervous system is an important nerve that connects to various internal organs, including the heart, lungs, stomach and intestines, liver, bladder, salivary glands, endocrine glands, sweat glands, pupils, and blood vessels.

It has the function of moving things that you cannot intentionally control, such as "Now I'm going to move my stomach and intestines, and my lungs."
The autonomic nervous system consists of two parts, the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system, which work in balance.

<Sympathetic nervous system> Dominant during the daytime when you are active. Basically, this nerve is dominant when you are in a state of tension.

<Parasympathetic nervous system> The nervous system that is dominant when you are relaxed at night and is active during sleep or when you are relaxed.

It is very good that these two nerves are functioning in a balanced way.
If either of them becomes active, the following symptoms will appear in your body.

Physical symptoms that appear when the sympathetic nervous system becomes active

Blood vessels in the brain constrict, pupils dilate, heart rate increases, gastrointestinal function is suppressed, sweating occurs, etc.

Physical symptoms that appear when the parasympathetic nervous system becomes active

Brain blood vessels expand, pupils close, heart rate decreases, gastrointestinal activity becomes more active, etc.

The autonomic nervous system unconsciously regulates body temperature, sweating, blood pressure, breathing, heart rate, and gastrointestinal movement, and when this regulation stops working, the internal environment of the body becomes disrupted, causing illness.
The center of the autonomic nervous system is located in the hypothalamus of the brain, and since it is interconnected with the limbic system, which controls emotions, it is said that mental problems are also related to the functioning of the autonomic nervous system.

What causes autonomic nervous system disorders?

It is said that the main cause of autonomic nervous system disorders, which are closely related to mental and physical disorders, is "stress."

Although it varies from person to person, when we experience stress, from mental factors such as worries about relationships, anxiety, and tension, to physical factors such as fatigue, temperature, and noise, the adrenal cortex, which is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, causes the body to secrete adrenal cortical hormones and adrenaline.

Adrenal cortical hormones and adrenaline have effects such as increasing blood sugar levels, increasing blood pressure, suppressing the immune system, promoting gastric acid secretion, and awakening, and they act to give dominance to the sympathetic nervous system.

If you continue to be under stress, your sympathetic nervous system will continue to dominate, disrupting the balance with your parasympathetic nervous system and making you more susceptible to physical and mental disorders.
In addition, irregular lifestyle habits can also cause the autonomic nervous system to become unbalanced.
If you continue to lead an irregular lifestyle, such as lack of sleep, an unbalanced diet, or a reversed day and night schedule, your biological rhythm will be disrupted and your autonomic nervous system will become unbalanced.

The autonomic nervous system controls all the organs in the body, so if it becomes unbalanced, it can impair the functioning of the entire body and cause a variety of symptoms.
Physical symptoms such as lethargy, fatigue, dizziness, tinnitus, discomfort in the mouth or throat, excessive sweating, frequent urination, feeling of residual urine, severe shoulder stiffness, chills, persistent hot flashes/low-grade fever, migraines, constipation/diarrhea, numbness in the hands and feet, palpitations, shortness of breath/difficulty in breathing.
Mental symptoms include irritability, anxiety, and restlessness.

In this way, when the balance of the autonomic nervous system is disrupted due to stress or changes in lifestyle, causing the mind and body to become unbalanced, this condition is called "autonomic nervous system disorder."
Treatments for autonomic nervous system disorders include drug therapy, behavioral therapy to regulate sleep cycles, and counseling, but it is said that the most important thing is to control stress and improve lifestyle habits such as regular sleep and eating.

When you feel unwell physically or mentally, the cause may be an imbalance in your autonomic nervous system.
First of all, why not take a look at whether you have irregular lifestyle habits or are in an environment that is prone to stress, and try to improve them?
It is very important to lead a regular life in order to reduce stress.

For those who want to be conscious of their sleep and diet, you can purchase GRØN, a domestically produced plant-based protein, here .

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Nutritionist, Food Education Instructor, Food 6th Industrialization Producer Level 4
Ayako Ishihara

A nutritional advisor in the healthcare field and an agribusiness professional.
She is involved in a variety of activities specializing in the fields of beauty and health, including giving lectures to Miss World Japan candidates.

With the philosophy of "enriching the mind and body through food and realizing a vibrant society where people and communities are connected," he founded i-Field Co., Ltd. in 2013 and serves as its representative.
He is a core member of the food team for "DINING OUT," which opens outdoor restaurants in various regions, and also participates in fashion brand projects.
She is also involved in the promotion of local ingredients, product development and production specializing in "health" and "beauty," branding, concept design, food hygiene, sales promotion, training planning and management, etc. She is in charge of nutritional supervision for GRØN's product development, proposing ways to incorporate them more effectively into consumer health.

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