Triple-Tiered Intelligence: How Our 86+ Billion Neurons Span Head, Heart, and Gut

We've long been taught that the brain controls our entire body through a complex system of nearly 86 billion neurons. These neurons communicate vital information that dictates when we feel hungry, when to breathe, when to digest food, and how we experience pain or emotion.

But have you ever felt like a decision that seems logical in your mind just doesn't feel right? Or that you make all your best decisions after you eat?

It turns out, this isn't just a clever excuse to take a snack break. There's real neuroscience behind what you're experiencing.

Recent scientific advancements have broadened our understanding, revealing that we don't just have one 'brain' but three—the head, heart, and gut.

Each of these organs not only has its own set of neurons but also its unique nervous system, fundamentally altering our approach to mental, emotional, and physical health.

Head [1st Brain]: Analyze, communicate & think logically.*

Our head-brain is our Mental Intelligence Center and the site of your Central Nervous System (CNS). It manages most cognitive and bodily functions and operates through the central nervous system.*

It's instrumental in everything from controlling our cognition and behavior to maintaining internal homeostasis and directing the body's stress responses.*¹

Unfortunately, in today's society, we often feel disconnected from our Heart [2nd Brain] and Gut [3rd Brain], ending up feeling like we’re primarily living ‘in our heads.’

This disconnection can prevent us from integrating our emotional and intuitive insights with our mental processes, potentially leading to stress and tension. We often find ourselves 'stuck in our heads,' relying solely on our cognitive abilities to make sense of our life experiences.*

This reliance on assumptions and rigid thinking can block our openness to curiosity and learning opportunities. It may also hinder learning and impair our Head [1st Brain] neuroplasticity and capacity to change.*

Heart [2nd Brain]: Listens to emotions & intuition.*

Have you ever had a feeling or an unexplained connection that led you to make a decision, even when it didn't seem logical? Or perhaps you've sensed something was off but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Maybe your Heart [2nd Brain] was trying to tell you something!

The heart is often referred to as our 'emotional brain.' Its primary role? To anchor the other two brains.

When the Heart anchors both the Head and the Gut, our nervous system shifts from the 'fight-flight-freeze' response to a 'rest-digest-repair' state.

In this 'rest-digest-repair' mode—also known as the parasympathetic state—our bodies can enter a calm and peaceful state, promoting a healthy well-being.*

This unexpected link between our heart being a [2nd Brain] was first discovered by scientist Claude Bernard over 160 years ago and noted by Charles Darwin in his work The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals. Darwin wrote, "When the mind is strongly excited, we might expect that it would instantly affect in a direct manner the heart […]."

But it wasn't until August 1991 that Dr. J. Andrew Armour from Dalhousie University (go Canada!) discovered that the heart does more than just communicate with the head-brain and gut-brain through the vagus nerve and spinal cord.

Amazingly, it has its own 'intrinsic cardiac nervous system'—or 'little brain'—composed of about 40,000 neurons.*²

Just before that, in the 1980s, another important discovery: the heart is capable of producing the Atrial Natriuretic Factor (ANF), a hormone that plays a role in the brain, the adrenal glands, blood vessels, and kidneys.*³

On the other hand, the neurotransmitters noradrenaline and dopamine (produced in the brain) were also discovered to play a significant role in heart function.*^4,5 Can you start seeing the connection?

Since then, scientists have found that the heart also secretes the hormone oxytocin (sometimes called the 'love hormone'). This important chemical messenger controls everything from contractions of the womb during labor to lactation and many human behaviors and social interactions.*⁶

Interestingly, oxytocin and its receptors have also been found in the gut.*

Gut [3rd Brain]: Feeds cognitive function & delivers happiness.*

Have you ever experienced butterflies in your stomach? Or that subtle 'tickle' that helps you discern what's good for you and what's harmful, leading to the saying we all know: "Listen to your gut feeling"?

Whether you're nervous, anxious, or excited, that feeling originates from a 'brain' that often doesn't receive the recognition it deserves: the Gut, or our [3rd Brain]!*

Hidden within the walls of our gastrointestinal tract, which extends from the esophagus to the rectum, are two thin layers containing more than 500 million nerve cells and trillions of beneficial bacteria.*

Scientists refer to this as our Enteric Nervous System (ENS)—also known as our ‘gut brain.’ This remarkable system can too act independently and make complex health decisions.*⁷

It's the center of our intuition. Obviously, your gut rejects something you've eaten and isn't good for you. But can you also learn to trust it when it warns you about life situations that might be harmful? And perhaps more importantly, should you?

Well, according to science, the answer is: "Yes!"

The Gut [3rd Brain] is involved in our defense mechanism. It is closely connected with regulating our immune system and its ability to defend us from invading pathogens and toxins.*^8,9

In the 1990s, neuroscientists began to study neurogastroenterology—a field of gastroenterology that overlaps with neurology. They discovered that the brain and gut were intimately connected via gut-brain neurons.

Through work in this vast and emerging field, scientists identified the 'gut-brain axis.' The term refers to the biochemical signaling that occurs in both directions between the gut and the brain. The axis connects our emotional and cognitive centers with our digestive system and gastrointestinal (GI) tract.*¹⁰

This communication is important for understanding how our emotional state can influence gut health and vice versa, affecting everything from stress responses to immune function.*

Luckily, we have the power of three brains to help us make more balanced decisions.*

At HCF®, we understand that true cognitive restoration involves more than just nourishing and supporting the Head [1st Brain]. We recognize that optimal brain health encompasses the interconnected trio of our all three intelligence centers—the head, heart, and gut.*

And, as mentioned above, these three brains don't work in isolation. Instead, they form a sophisticated, interconnected system that significantly influences our overall health and well-being.*

Our next-level nootropic technology features advanced time-release microbead neuro-nutrients, meticulously crafted to support cognitive performance. This technology may support all three 'brains' and help all three function at their peak.*