Harnessing Interoception to Improve Health

What it is, current research, and prospective outcomes

Interoception is the perception of sensation within the body. This idea is something that is currently of great interest in the neuroscience field and a topic that a 2021 LinkedIn article noted as a trend to look out for. I recently listened to an episode from the Huberman Lab podcast hosted by Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University, titled "How to Optimize Your Brain-Body Function & Health" that spoke entirely about the phenomena.

The vagus nerve is the key player in brain-body connections. Specialized sensory neurons, including those in the gut, communicate internal states to the brain. Huberman spoke on how we can optimize our ability to sense fullness, and avoid overeating, by consciously bringing awareness toward mechanosensation within the gut.

This got me thinking about how interoception plays a role in our relationship with food and feeding behavior. Does interoception have clinical outcomes? Could an increase or decrease in interoceptive ability be an indicator of eating disorders? When diving deeper into this topic, I came across a 2021 study on the association between weakened interoception and negative body image. This study suggests that there is in fact a relationship between interoceptive processing ability and negative body image (body shame and preoccupation with weight) (Todd et al. 2021). As such, it is clear how mental health and cognitive states stem from sources outside of our awareness and from overall health behaviors. If the gut is connected to the brain via the vagus nerve, then what we eat, the bacteria in the gut, and mechanosensation of the stomach can all potentially play a significant role in our cognition.

Interoception shows us how the brain is really connected to the entire body. How you treat each part of your body – and how you treat your brain – is vital for overall health. In the foreseeable future I see health and wellness, specifically regarding holistic health practices, continuing to grow as this research continues.

Listen to the podcast: https://youtu.be/rW9QKc-iFoY

Read about the study: https://www.biotechniques.com/neuroscience/do-we-control-how-we-see-our-bodies/