Gut Health and Immunity
Hippocrates stated over 2,000 years ago that all disease begins in the gut. 85% of our immune system is in the gut.
Importance Of Gut Health​
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When we consume modernized foods or a limited diet, when combined with stress and environmental toxins, drugs, alcohol, cleaning chemicals the gut flora becomes out of balance which leads to more opportunistic bacteria, causing abnormal digestion that promotes nutritional deficiencies and a damaged gut lining. A damaged gut lining leads to food allergies. The excess opportunistic bacteria produce toxins in the gut, damage the gut lining and leak out into the body (leaky gut syndrome). The toxic byproducts of the opportunistic
bacteria are distributed to various parts of the body causing a variety of symptoms. For instance symptoms like fatigue, changes in mood and behavior, hay fever, hair loss, joint pain, addictions, asthma, back pain, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and autoimmunity. Over time the detoxification system collapses leading to more symptoms and disease. When the brain is affected it causes Gut and Psychology Syndrome and when the rest of the body is affected, it causes Gut and Physiology Syndrome. The goal is to rebalance the gut flora by changing the foods consumed.
Immune System and Gut Health
Our immune system protects us from foreign invaders and 80-85% of our immune system is located in the gut wall. The digestive tract is one of the largest and most important organs in the body. 90% of all cells in the body are in the gut flora, we are only 10% human genetically. Our gut flora interacts with the gut wall and the gut flora sends signals to the immune system via the gut wall. There are three types of gut flora; essential or beneficial flora, opportunistic flora and transitional flora and each of these have a job to do but when out of balance create havoc in our digestive tract.
Simply put, all life forms poop and pee, the beneficial bacteria poop and pee health promoting substances (postbiotics) and are like our personal pharmacy. There are three general types of bacteria that affect the immune system.
Intestinal Bacteria
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Beneficial Gut Bacteria break down and ferment food that produce antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial substances. Beneficial bacteria manufacture B-complex vitamins and vitamin K2. They also protect the integrity of the gut, improve bioavailability of nutrients, aid in the absorption of vitamins and minerals, ferment indigestible carbohydrates to short chain fatty acids, neutralize toxins and carcinogens and regulate inflammatory markers.
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Opportunistic Gut Bacteria are various bacteria, viruses, and fungi in a healthy gut that live in small numbers, under tight control by the beneficial bacteria. When out of balance can cause serious health problems and diseases like autoimmune conditions, gout, predispositions to allergies, digestive issues, cancer, and heart disease depending on the particular species of opportunistic microbes. When we take good care of the beneficial bacteria, these opportunistic microbes may never show themselves.
Transitional Gut Bacteria come from food and drink and are various forms of microbes that usually do no harm, however if the beneficial bacteria are imbalanced then they can harm your gut.
Our health is directed by the make-up of our bacteria and we are discovering that the process of disease begins in people as young as 2 years old and can even begin in the womb depending on the health of the mother. Currently, people between the ages of 20 - 45 are experiencing health issues related to imbalances in the gut flora that are related to lack of proper nutrition and poor lifestyle choices that lead to malnutrition, obesity and poor long term health.
The goal is to recognize the role of eating the correct foods for you and to make small steps to improve your lifestyle choices and improve your health. One place to start is to discover what foods are best suited for your genetic potential.
