Go With Your Gut: 4 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Through Digestion
The immune system is a complicated and vital organ of the human body. It defends against harmful infections, such as the flu. However, the state of the gastrointestinal tract affects the functioning of the immune system in your body. The specialized cells and intestinal microbes that comprise your digestive tract contain over 70% of your immune system.
These microscopic bacteria perform various tasks that influence your immune system and overall health. They manage the immune system and impart messages across the gut. The digestive system, like the immune system, is complicated and requires help to do its work correctly. Keeping our digestive system robust is the initial step to a powerful immune system.
How Are They Connected?
The digestive system is a process that arises in the brain and transmits through the GI tract and mouth. Due to its enormous size, the gastrointestinal tract is in danger of infection by bacteria, viruses, and allergies from food and the environment (for example, the flu virus or germs from muddy hands). The chief purpose of the physical barriers in your digestive system, which contain stomach acid and enzymes, is to stop infections from entering your intestines and irritating your sensitive microbial balance. Don't worry if these initial physical hurdles don't work; the gastrointestinal tract has another choice.
If germs or allergens do make it past your stomach acid, a mucosal layer acts as the first line of defense for the immune system. It utilizes a combination of illness-fighting organisms (like mucus and gut microbes) to prevent pathogens from continuing. Those who can cross this barrier can trigger immune reactions or increase overall inflammation all over the body, which may infect your immune system.
The second line of protection is a thick layer of cells known as epithelium. These cells are heavy in a microbe-battling enzyme called lysozyme, which helps ruin pathogens and prevent them from crossing into the blood, decreasing the risk of an immune reaction.
On the rare occasion that allergies or germs withstand stomach acidification, the mucosal layer acts as the immune system's initial line of protection.
It works by combining pathogen-fighting microorganisms and mucus to stop infections from spreading. Those who can pass this barrier may damage the immune system because they may trigger immunological responses or raise general inflammation inside the body.
The epithelium is a fine covering of cells that works as the second line of defense. Lysozyme, known as an enzyme that destroys microorganisms, extends in these cells and supports eliminating infections and terminating them from passing the circulatory system, decreasing the possibility of an immune reaction.
Your digestive system is prepared with physical obstacles that contain stomach acid and enzymes. These enzymes' foremost job is to kill pathogens before they can enter the intestines and disrupt your sensitive microbial balance.
Additionally, a healthy and diverse gut flora developed early in life helps to train the immune system to understand the difference between beneficial and pathogenic bacteria, stimulate an immune system response, crowd out pathogenic bacteria, and feed the cells.
A high-fiber diet, full of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, supports beneficial bacteria balance and the production of molecules such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which feed the epithelial tissue. SCFAs boast many anti-inflammatory properties, boost antibody production, and support the strength of the digestive lining, all of which are essential for a well-functioning immune system.
So What Could Go Wrong?
The digestive system is extensive and has many different functions, so there is ample opportunity for things to go wrong and impact the immune system.
Starting with the upper GI system, inadequate stomach acid or enzyme production may interfere with digestion by only partially digesting food and allowing it to continue before it is fully digested. When you cannot fully digest food, the risk of overgrowth of dangerous microbes and potential adverse reactions to constantly absorbed foods increases.
When undigested food particles move to the small intestine, they may damage the intestinal walls and increase your risk of a “leaky gut.” Imagine bits of food banging and knocking into the walls of your intestine, creating little knicks and holes along the way. This can be enlarged by other environmental elements, which contain genetic predispositions, chronic stress, and the risk of poisons.
Fragments of food and microbes can then slide through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream. This can activate an immune reaction as the body finds these food particles as foreign attackers and reduces immune stores to fight them off in an attack.
When you are not able to completely digest food, it raises the risk of overgrowth of hazardous microbes and potentially raises reactions to frequently absorbed foods.
In the large intestine, microbes that have successfully made it this far can cause bacterial differences in the microbiome, carrying an overgrowth of poisonous bacteria, fungi, or parasites.
The microbiome is a significant physical barrier in the immune system. It has numerous important roles involving the protection against the offense of potential pathogens, our “mucosal surveillance system,” and the production of essential nutrients that help to keep you healthy.
Chronic stress, dietary imbalances, and certain medications can also affect microbial balance and digestive health and weaken the immune system. `
The good news is that there’s a lot we can do to prevent things from going wrong and to heal digestion if we experience issues!
Support Digestion to Support the Immune System
A well-operating digestive system is necessary for a powerful immune system and keeping you healthy. Keep in mind that digestion is a process that begins in the brain, so encouragement should start there and work its way down.
Be chill and get parasympathetic. We must be peaceful and relaxed to consume our food correctly. The parasympathetic nervous system is in charge of transporting our body motions to slow down, breathe, and chill.
Involving this system before eating is significant to ensure that we set ourselves up for success by completely digesting our food. Practicing deep breathing, getting outside, and imagery are all great ways to generate our relaxation system.
Encourage the production of digestive enzymes and stomach acid that support breaking down food and quitting potential pathogens. Absorbing foods that are robust in zinc may help activate and boost stomach acid production. Zinc-rich foods include:
- Shellfish
- Meat
- Poultry
- Legumes which contain Chickpeas, lentils, black beans, kidney beans
- Nuts and seeds which contain Pumpkin seeds, cashews, hemp seeds
- Whole eggs
- Whole grains, which include Oats, quinoa, brown rice
- Some vegetables which include Mushrooms, kale, peas, asparagus, and beet greens
Love on your liver and gallbladder. The liver and gallbladder are both essential organs for breaking down food (specifically fats), transferring food into energy, and removing waste. Applying digestive bitters before meals or eating a suitable quantity of magnesium-rich foods like almonds and spinach can assist these organs in expertly digesting and eliminating waste products.
Eat adequate fiber. A diet high in fiber and variety helps to support the gut’s microbiota balance, feed the beneficial bacteria, and provide the cells with the essential nutrients they need to produce protective enzymes like lysozyme. Fiber-rich foods include:
- Broccoli
- Pears
- Cabbage
- Whole grains
- Oatmeal
- Figs
- Plums
- Apples
Supporting your digestion and immune system is essential for feeling great and functioning your best. Do you feel like you could use more targeted support? Check out our digestive maintenance necessary curation, which evolved especially with the health of your digestive system in mind.
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