The Importance of Gut Health for Immune Function

The Gut And Its Microbial Ecosystem

You may already know that the human gut contains trillions of beneficial microbes called the gut microbiome. These can be considered the soul of gut health. These are necessary for the proper functioning of the gut. In short, the diversity of the gut microbiome is higher and healthier, and so is the quality of your gut health.

Before addressing the topic, here’s something interesting. You may already know that even conventional medicine is against the regular use of antibiotics.

Have you ever thought about why it is not recommended to use antibiotics regularly? 

Antibiotics kill all the microbes inside the human gut, including the beneficial ones. This is why you feel a bit under the weather after taking a dose of antibiotics. So, the next time you think of getting a course of antibiotics for simple flu and colds, keep this in mind and choose wisely. 

Now, coming back to the gut microbiome, about 70% of immune cells reside in the gut. This makes the microbiome a frontline player in defending against harmful pathogens. The gut’s immune system trains itself to differentiate between harmful invaders and friendly microbes. This helps ensure a well-calibrated immune response.

So, now you know a brief on the gut and its microbiome system. Read on in the next session to learn how these tiny microbes can influence your immune system.

How Gut Health Influences Immunity

The gut microbiome is an all-rounder in regulating your health as a whole. Immune response is a major aspect among them.But, how do these tiny group of organisms function to regulate the whole body immune system?

1. Gut Microbiome And Immune System Communication

The gut microbiome directly interacts with immune cells and trains and controls them. For example, certain bacteria in the gut synthesise SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids) that modulate T-lymphocytes. These are very important for controlling infections and autoimmune diseases, as various research studies have proven.

2. Barrier Function Of The Gut Lining

The gut lining is also a biological and physical barrier. A healthy gut lining stops potent pathogens and toxins from entering the blood circulation system. When such a structural barrier is damaged (a state commonly known as leaky gut), immune responses can go awry, potentially resulting in inflammation.

3. Influence On Systemic Immunity  

It has been observed that gut microbiota facilitate the secretion of cytokines. These help trigger immune responses throughout the body.

A healthy gut microbiome allows for such substances to be produced in the appropriate amounts that enable the body to effectively respond to infections without the danger of causing harm through excessive amounts of inflammation. 

4. Reduction Of Chronic Inflammation

Dysbiosis (an imbalanced gut microbiome) of the gut results in chronic inflammation. This has been associated with autoimmune diseases, allergies, and even heart disease. A balanced microbiome does not allow for hyper-activation of inflammatory tracers.

As human bodies are complex, these mechanisms are more complex to understand, especially in medical terms. However, what we can do is make our health a priority through simple yet effective lifestyle corrections and a healthy diet. Read on to know:

How To Support Gut Health For Better Immunity

As mentioned at the start, preventive aspects in health care have been gaining widespread popularity recently. The whole foundation of preventive medicine starts with how you live your life. Yes, we are talking about lifestyle choices and dietary habits. Read below and understand some of the lifestyle tweaks and adjustments you can follow to take care of your gut health and your immunity in the long run:

1. Add Probiotics Into Your Diet

Probiotics are good bacteria that can help balance the gut microbiome. Such food with probiotics includes:

Yoghurt: Stay away from pasteurised yoghurt and always choose one that contains live, active cultures.

Kefir: This is an alcoholic or non-alcoholic fermented milk drink containing more active bacteria than yoghurt.

Fermented Vegetables: Gut health is improved by sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles.

2. Consume Prebiotic Foods

Prebiotics are indigestible fibres that are consumed to increase gut bacteria activity and population. Prebiotics and gut health have a never-ending connection. Common good sources of prebiotics include:

• Garlic
• Onions
• Bananas
• Asparagus
• Whole grains

Such food increases the diversity of the microbiota of the gut and improves immunity.

3. Raise Your Fibre Intake

Food such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds contain high amounts of fibre, which encourages proper digestion and supports all beneficial bacteria. A mixture of different fibres would be necessary to support a healthy ideal microbiome.

4. Drink Enough Water In A Day

Water assists with digestion and sustains gut tissue. Not drinking enough water can cause constipation, which can lead to increased chances of damaged gut and lower immune levels.

5. Minimise Processed Foods And Sugars

Consumption of processed foods and high-sugar diets, which can also disrupt the gut microbiome, can favour and encourage harmful bacteria overgrowth.

It’s wise to swap artificial snacks for nuts or fruits.

6. Manage Stress

Did you know stress impacts your gut health and immunity? When chronically stressed, communication within the gut-brain axis is altered, which can lead to an imbalance of microbes. Keeping stress at its minimum can easily be achieved by:

• Practicing exercises
• Meditation
• Deep breathing exercises
• Yoga

7. Get Enough Sleep

Well-rested sleep can greatly impact the balance of the gut microbiome and the immune system. Lacking sleep can alter the diversity of microorganisms and the functionality of the gut as a barrier.

8. Antibiotics In Excess Should Be Ceased

The use of antibiotics could affect gut microbiota, as certain good bacteria are destroyed in the process. Only take them when prescribed, and make sure you take optimal probiotics after antibiotic therapy. Taking probiotics after antibiotics will help you rapidly recover your microbiome and restore gut flora balance.

To cater and design a healthy routine with perfect medicines that suit your unique health needs is a tedious task. At Nirva Health, we have been doing this for the past years with expert and professional guidance, leading to numerous happy customers. If you are in doubt about your gut health, reach out to us, and we can help you.

In London, Jennifer is a busy professional lawyer who had problems with her gut, faced constant infections along with chronic tiredness, and little relief from the conventional treatments. Things started to change positively for her once she became a part of Nirva’s team.

Wrapping It Up

It takes simple efforts like reducing the amount of sweets you consume, eating more fibre and lowering the amount of stress you experience to have a carry-on effect and a much healthier gut microbiome. Though these may look like minor steps, they are definitely helpful investments in your immunity and health.

Due to a balanced microbiome, an improvement in bodily responses to infections and inflammation should be expected, thus preventing the further development of chronic diseases. 

There is no need for a huge change, just small improvements. Make these changes today and see how your immunity and gut health get better.