Source: popularmechanics.com | Repoats Duerson Fund 4/24/2024 –
The words “boot camp” are pretty much synonymous with some of the most intense physical training a human body can endure. But military preparedness drills do more than just bulk up biceps—they can also cause traumatic brain injury (TBI). These drills often involve training with explosives, and even when recruits and trainers are at a declared “safe” distance, these explosions can wreak havoc on the brain. They can also wreak havoc on another unlikely part of the body: the gut.
This strange bodily connection isn’t a new one. Previous research in 2009 uncovered the “neuro-enteric (intestinal) axis,” and a study back in 2017 by the University of Maryland School of Medicine found a “two-way link” between TBI and the lower intestine—possibly caused by enteric glial cells, which are similar to other cells found in the brain. Brain damage allowed permeability of the gut, which allowed harmful microbes to migrate from the intestine and cause life-threatening illnesses such as sepsis. This discovery helped explain why TBI patients were also 2.5 times more likely to die of a digestive problem.