Nervous System

What it is the Nervous System?

As one of the most important systems within the body, the nervous system controls it all! Along with the endocrine system, the nervous system helps the body to maintain one of the most fundamental aspects of a well-functioning body- homeostasis. (Want to know what homeostasis is? Check out this useful Video here.)


The nervous system consists of a collection of organs. Most important is the brain and spinal cord. (Yes! The spinal cord is considered an organ!) These two work along with nerves and ganglia to make up the nervous system. Within these important organs are a host of nerves, connective and blood tissues.

What does the Nervous System do?

Starting with the brain, it controls our feelings and thoughts, what we learn, what we remember, as well as how we move, speak, etc. Not only does it control our cognitive thoughts and movements, but it is also responsible for some of the mechanisms we don’t even think about. Such as the digestion of the food we consume, the beating of the heart, and even our breathing!


While it is our brains that control these body functions, the rest of our nervous system acts as the information highway for the messages from our brain. These messages are transferred through the nerves within the spinal cord. These nerves branch out from the spinal cord into all the other organs and parts of the body.

How does the Nervous System function?

The nervous system functions in three separate distinctions: motor, sensory and integrative. Our body contains millions of sensory receptors that are responsible for detecting stimuli. These stimuli can happen either inside or outside of the body.


Outside of the body stimuli can come in the form of light, temperature, sound, visual changes, physical contact, etc. (Think of your five senses: sight, taste, sound, touch, smell. All of these senses pick up forms of stimuli that are processed by the nervous system.) Within the body, stimuli can be in the form of body fluid concentration changes, pH changes, electrolyte variation or carbon dioxide concentration changes.

Once the sensory input is received, it is converted into electrical signals (aka. Nerve impulses.) via action potential. (Want to know more about action potential? Click Here!) These nerve impulses take a ride through the nerves and up the spinal cord to the brain where a decision is made on what to do or how to respond. This process is known as integration.


Then it’s time for the nervous system to decide what to do. This depends on what the sensory input is and the form of integration. Maybe the brain will send signals to the glands to produce secretions. Or perhaps it will send a signal to the muscles asking them to contract or relax. Whatever the message may be, these signals are the reason why our bodies do what we tell them to do (move your legs, smile for a picture, speak the chosen words, etc.) or even what we don’t tell them to do (breathing, digesting, heart beating, etc.)

Natural Ways To Improve the Nervous System

So, now that we know what the nervous system is, what it does and how it functions- let's take a look at some natural ways to improve how this impressive system functions for our pets.

Vitamin B6

All of the B vitamins play a vital role in your dog's health. However, Vitamin B6 is extremely important. It is responsible for glucose generation, red blood cell and nervous system function. As well as hormone regulation, immune response, niacin synthesis, and even gene activation (Burke, 2020.)

Consider incorporating some natural sources of Vitamin B6 into your pet's daily diet. According to research Harvard University (2019) You can utilize a variety of fruits, vegetables and legumes that contain Vitamin B6. These can include (but are not limited to):

  • Tuna

  • Salmon

  • Fortified cereals

  • Chickpeas

  • Poultry

  • Some vegetables and fruits, especially dark leafy greens, bananas, papayas, oranges, and cantaloupe

Fish Oil

Even our furry companions can suffer the unfortunate effects of dementia. With pets, it is referred to as cognitive dysfunction (CDS). With house pets, CDS shows up as "disorientation, altered interactions with pet owners and other pets, sleep–wake cycle abnormality, loss of housetraining and altered activity levels and patterns," (Pan et al., 2012.)

Unfortunately, once brain cells are lost, they do not regenerate. Therefore, it is best to put "a greater focus on preventive strategies, such as using nutrients or bioactives that target reducing the rate of brain cell loss in both human subjects and pets to promote healthy brain ageing and reduce the risk of dementia," (Pan et al., 2012.)

According to the research by Pan et al. (2012), fish oil is one of the most effective nutrients in preserving and promoting brain function and cognitive abilities. Consider incorporating a daily pet-safe fish oil supplement as part of your furry companions daily intake.

Mental Stimulation

Did you know that you can utilize mental stimulation to help keep your companion's brain function sharp and effective? That's right, mental stimulation is very important for older dogs. When dogs age, their cognitive abilities began to fade. This leads to confusion, memory loss and a lack of awareness. However, challenging your dog’s brain can help deter brain cell decay from taking place. This can help keep their brains smart and fresh for much longer (Huntingford, 2018.)

Keep your pet's brain nice and sharp by utilizing some of these effective modes of mental stimulation:

  • Puzzle toys

  • Thinking games (Fetch, hide and seek.)

  • New tricks and training

  • Quick outings

  • Quality time. Engaging in interactions with you is enough to stimulate their mind substantially.

Sources

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