How your gut health has the power to make you sicker or healthier

There is a lot out there on the connection between our gut and our immune system (and really any other system).

Humans have a lot of bacteria cells (like a lot) and we often make the mistake of thinking they're separate from us. Just these foreign entities just floating around our bodies; us versus them.

But studies and research are showing they are more a part of us than we think.

A large portion of this bacteria lives within our gut. It helps support our digestive system.

Research shows there is a lot of interaction between the gut and our immune system.... Ever notice that when you get sick you often get an upset stomach or just don't have a desire to eat?

This topic is gaining a lot of steam in the scientific communities but it really needs to gain some steam in our conversations! This can be a game changer to fighting illness, disease and infection. I won't get too nitty gritty into the science (if you want that you can go to the links I provide for reference).

The key is finding balance. Not enough bacteria doesn't allow our immune system to work and practice for the real thing and too much (or the wrong stuff) and we end up sick. We also need to have a balance between the good and bad bacteria in our body (yes! There are in fact good bacteria).

But how does the bacteria in our body affect our other systems and why do we allow it to be there?

Researchers have found that bacteria cells contain about 150 times more DNA than our human cells do so our human cells and bacteria cells actually have an interesting symbiotic relationship.

Our immune systems kick into gear when they detect an "attacker" some kind of bad or foreign entity it knows isn't supposed to be there. The effectiveness of it's ability to fight this has been linked to a the gut and the types of food we allow into our system.

Food has a huge impact on our gut health and therefore on our immune system. The number one thing you should focus on to help prevent illnesses and diseases from being the worst they can be or potentially developing an autoimmune disease is to watch what you eat.

We know food has an impact on our overall health in terms of our physical appearance but it also has a huge impact on our internal health (and this includes your immune system function).

What is the relationship between our gut and our immune system?

Our gut acts as a trainer for our immune system. It teaches our immune system cells (T cells) the difference between our cells and the foreign cells.

According to researchers at the Gilbert Lab

When everything is running smoothly, the gut sends signals for the development of healthy immune function modulating immune responses. In exchange, the immune system helps to populate the microbiome with health-promoting microbes.

So, how can food affect our gut health and therefore our immune system?

1. Pre & Probiotics Are Boss

These are considered the good bacteria and they are the single most important parts of this topic.

One of two things can happen everytime we eat. Our body can either detoxify the food or it can or can toxify them. If we choose to eat toxifying foods we need to have a really strong immune system in order to combat this. This is where pre & probiotics come into play.

Now, you can take supplements for these however, getting our nutrients from food should always be first priority. Supplements should not be your number one tool.

To get probiotic eating a good variety of fermented food is key.

Kombucha
Miso
Tempeh
Sauerkraut

are good examples of fermented food.

You also need prebiotics (hint, pre & probiotics work together). To get prebiotics in your diet you should eat a variety of 

Asparagus
Bananas
Garlic
Onions
Whole grains

2. Reduce the amount of "toxic" food you eat

Anything processed is definitely culprite number one. But remember I said reduce. I'm not naive enough to think I can walk in here and say stop eating all processed food. Above I mentioned that if we eat toxifying foods we need to have a strong immune system to fight it off.

Artificial sugars and sweeteners can cause a lot of damage in our bodies. They can cause gut dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of the gut microbes (remember, everything is about balance).

A great tip I received from a friend a long time ago is when you go to the grocery store do your best to stay out of the aisles. Most of your shopping should be done along the perimeter of the store. Of course there are items in the aisles you may need but the bulk of your stuff should be found along the outside. The produce section is never within the aisles.

Also, create a list before going to the store. Anything that you need that's in an aisle mark it on your list so you are aware of the particular item in the aisle you need, grab it and then get out.

3. Plant-based diets support an optimal immune system

Eating meat and animal products have been associated with many conditions such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, etc.

Following a plant-based diet, or at least decreasing the amount products you eat and increasing the fruits and vegetables you eat have been shown to have incredible health benefits on our guts microbiome.

Studies have shown that people who eat a healthy plant-based diet that includes a good variety of healthy fruits, vegetables, and whole grains have high levels of prebiotic fibre in their guts and experience lower levels of gut inflammation.

Furthermore, studies have also shown that a plant-based diet lowers your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and obesity.

4. Other factors that can have a positive effect on your gut health (and therefore your immune system) include:

Decreased stress levels
Avoiding antibiotics when you can
Using more natural cleaning supplies
Living a smoke and drug free life
Getting enough sleep
Exercising regularly

This is only scratching the surface of the connection between our gut and our immune system. This relationship is a vital and complex relationship but doing the best we can to optimize our immune system and ensure we are taking care of our gut health is an extremely important job.

Everyone gets sick at some point in their life but our bodies ability to fight it off and handle what is thrown at it is something we can support.

If there is even one good reason to focus on your diet this would be it! 

Want to learn more about your immune system? Check out my resources page! There is no opt-in required, all the information is right on the page for you.

>>Check it out here<<