It is now well established that the brain and the gut are engaged in constant bi-directional communication. Most individuals are made aware of such communication when alteration in gastrointestinal function is communicated to the brain bringing about the perception of visceral events such as nausea, satiety, and pain or when, in turn, stressful experiences lead to altered gastrointestinal secretions and motility. The mechanisms which allow communication between the central nervous system (CNS) and the enteric nervous system (ENS) involve neural pathways as well as immune and endocrine mechanisms (Forsythe et al., 2013). This comunication is most important to ensuring the homeostasis of the organism and it is influenced by various factors:
