Western medicine has largely failed to appreciate the complexity of how the brain, gut, and more recently, the gut microbiota—the microorganisms that live inside our digestive tract—communicate with one another. Though many people have had “gut feelings” or “gut instincts”, the scientific basis of these terms and how they form part of the hidden conversation in our bodies falls far outside the perimeters of our understanding. Medical research, however, is increasingly uncovering stunning new information about the extraordinary brain gut connection. To explore the brain gut microbiome system and its implications on human health and disease, BizNews spoke to Dr Emeran Mayer, a world renowned gastroenterologist and neuroscientist and a pioneer of medical research into brain gut interactions. The degree to which the microbiome is insinuated into virtually every aspect of our health, and the opportunities this presents in terms of disease management, is astounding.