Within the gut, a world unseen, Trillions of microbes reign supreme, Bacteria, viruses, fungi thrive, In their domain, the gut’s alive.
They break down food with silent might, But signals sent beyond our sight, Short chains of fats and more they spin, To talk with immune cells deep within.
The immune guards, alert and keen, Watch over gut, both calm and mean, Inflammation, balance, they maintain, A dance of health and sometimes pain.
Seventy percent of cells reside, Within the gut, where they confide, With microbes, they converse and share, A balance intricate and rare.
The brain receives the gut's soft call, Through vagus nerve and signals small, Neurotransmitters ebb and flow, In ways the conscious mind won’t know.
Serotonin, moods they guide, From gut to brain, they do not hide, And cytokines inflamed will rise, To cloud the mind with fog-filled skies.
In sickness, balance breaks apart, Gut, brain, immune lose their start, But through this axis, hope is sown, With food, with care, the seeds are grown.
For what we eat, how we digest, Will shape our mind and body's quest, So gut, immune, and brain align, A triad strong, in health they shine.
