Immune System Strength & Your GUT
Hey guys!
We’re all paying a little extra attention to our immune system these days, so no better time to chat about how our gut impacts our immune system!
DID YOU KNOW that 70% of your immune system is LOCATED in and around your digestive system?
The immune cells living in your gut actually make up the LARGEST component of your body’s immune system. Do you know what this means?? There are more immune cells living in the wall of your gut than circulating in your blood or residing in your bone marrow.
Why do you think this is?
Let’s think about it.
Your gut is exposed to many potentially lethal microorganisms contained in what we eat. Our gut-based immune defences are capable of not only identifying, but also destroying dangerous bacterial invaders that may make it into our food and water. You know whats even more impressive? This defence system is capable of recognizing the small number of potentially lethal microbes from the trillion or so OTHER BENEFICIAL microbes living in your gut.
So aside from eating possibly contaminated food, how can our diet influence our immune system?
GREAT QUESTION!
In a previous post on the blog I chatted about LEAKY GUT, what it means and how it impacts health (CHECK IT OUT HERE). Well, it plays a role here too! For those who missed that blog post, leaky gut is characterized by an increase in permeability of intestinal mucosa, that is oftentimes related to dysbiosis (an imbalance of “GOOD” and “BAD” bacteria in the gut, swaying to the “BAD” side) or chronic inflammation. This leakiness in the gut allows for bacteria, food, parasites and toxins to enter the bloodstream. CUE IMMUNE SYSTEM RESPONSE. Your immune system sees the bacteria, food, parasites and other toxins now leaching into the bloodstream as foreign invaders that it needs to deal with. If you have a strong immune system, it will deal with it efficiently. BUT issues arise when the irritants, inflammation, and bad microorganisms in the gut CONTINUE TO thrive based off of our dietary habits. Your gut continues in this permeable state and your immune system IS TIRED! It’s overworked and so busy dealing with intestinal insults, that it doesn’t have time or energy to deal with other invaders to the body.
In addition to poor nutrition impacting the gut and the consequent impact on the immune system, when we are feeding ourselves with these less than stellar food options, we’re forcing our bodies to rely on nutrient reserves that can quickly become depleted. Poor quality food just doesn’t give the body the nutrients it needs to repair itself.
So how do we strengthen a weak immune system with our diet!?
Fuel it - provide the nutrients necessary for a strong immune system through your diet by incorporating whole foods as close to their natural state as possible. Foods that are ALIVE, and of GOOD QUALITY.
A diet rich in antioxidants, while being low in fats and refined sugars
Look at the gut- if your gut is showing signs of weakness, let’s work on building that bad boy up! That can be accomplished with some dietary changes and sometimes, lifestyle adjustments (relating to sleep and stress). We need both prebiotic and probiotic rich foods that will support a healthy microbial balance.
If you could use some help using food as fuel for a healthy immune system, let’s chat! BOOK a FREE 30-minute discovery call with me below to learn about my style as a holistic nutritionist, and if we will be a good fit for one another!