Immunity and the Importance of Your Gut
Autumn is an excellent time to give extra attention to your immunity, so you can face the darker months with as much energy as possible. There are many ways to support your immune system, but did you know that your gut plays a significant role in enhancing your immunity?
What is the Immune System?
Your immunity or immune system is your body's natural defence against pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Think of it as a well-trained team always ready to fight off unwanted intruders. If your immune system is functioning well, you are less susceptible to illnesses and recover faster if you do fall ill.
Did you know that your immune system consists of two main components? The innate immune system provides a quick response to any kind of threat, while your adaptive immune system offers a specifically tailored defence. It learns from previous attacks, enabling it to respond more quickly and effectively next time. Both systems work together to protect you as best as possible, but they need proper support to function at full capacity. How does your immune system work exactly? Learn all about your immunity.
The Gut and the Microbiome
Your gut is not only responsible for digesting food, but it is also home to trillions of microorganisms known as the microbiome or gut flora. These include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and yeasts that live in harmony with each other. They not only support your digestion but also play a crucial role in the health of your immune system.
Approximately 70-80% of all your immune cells are located in the gut. Good bacteria keep your gut lining strong and communicate with the immune cells in your gut to stay active and respond to intruders. If your microbiome becomes imbalanced, it can weaken your immune system, making you more susceptible to infections.
Immunity and Your Gut: What's the Connection?
There is indeed a significant link between your gut and your immunity. Your gut acts as a kind of 'gatekeeper' between your body and the outside world. It forms a barrier determining what can enter your body (such as nutrients) and what should stay out and be expelled through waste. Therefore, the health of your gut directly impacts your immunity.
Unhealthy guts can lead to inflammation in your body, which in turn can cause an overactive and eventually exhausted immune system. Conversely, healthy guts can lead to a stronger immune system.
Healthy Guts for Strong Immunity: What Can You Do?
Fortunately, there is much you can do to support both your gut and your immune system.
1. Nutrition
Healthy nutrition is, of course, the foundation for a healthy gut and strong immunity.
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Fibre: fibre ensures a good transit time for your food and helps against both constipation and diarrhoea. Think of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Besides the fibre that helps keep your stools soft, there are also fibres that mainly provide food for your gut bacteria: prebiotic fibres. By eating enough prebiotic fibres, you support your microbiome and feed the good bacteria. You'll find them in vegetables, garlic, onions, asparagus, bananas, and oats.
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Probiotics: these are the live bacteria that strengthen the gut flora. They are found in fermented products like yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles.
Tip: Try to include some pre- and probiotics in your diet every day.
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Proteins: proteins are important building blocks for your entire body. You need proteins for the production of cells and neurotransmitters, enzymes, and for muscle recovery. But your immune system also needs proteins to function properly. Good sources include eggs, meat, fish, or beans.
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Colourful Vegetables and Fruits: vegetables and fruits in different colours are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that support both your gut and immune system. Choose options like carrots, beets, peppers, berries, or spinach. Eat the rainbow!
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Omega-3: omega-3, found in oily fish such as salmon, herring, or sardines, has anti-inflammatory properties and strengthens the gut lining. Not a fan of fish? Opt for an omega-3 supplement or flaxseed oil.
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Avoid Processed Foods: packaged and processed foods often contain added sugars, unhealthy fats, and lack fibre. This can be detrimental to your gut flora. Choose as many unprocessed, pure ingredients as possible.
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Adequate Water: water supports your digestion and helps eliminate waste products. Proper hydration is crucial for healthy guts and your immunity.
2. Exercise
Did you know that exercise literally gets your gut moving? It stimulates circulation and ensures that digestion continues to function well. Good flow in your gut promotes the absorption of nutrients and prevents constipation, which contributes to a healthier gut flora and better immunity.
Exercise also reduces inflammation in your body. This is very important because chronic inflammation can overload and weaken your immune system. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day and stand up for at least 2 minutes every hour. Read more about how to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.
3. Stress and Relaxation
Stress is unfortunately one of the biggest enemies of your gut and immune system. Through the gut-brain axis, stress signals can disrupt your digestion and lead to inflammation, negatively impacting your immunity.
Chronic stress can also negatively affect the tight junctions in your gut lining. Tight junctions are meant to keep your gut lining slightly permeable, like a sieve that allows nutrients to be absorbed. Stress can cause the tight junctions to open too wide, creating gaps in the sieve, allowing undigested food particles, toxins, and other harmful substances to enter your body. This is also known as leaky gut.
Work on reducing stress by incorporating daily moments of relaxation. Take a walk, breathe consciously and deeply, meditate, or attend a yoga session. This prevents excessive stress in your body and thus disturbances in your gut. By reducing stress, you indirectly strengthen your immunity as well.
4. Sleep
Sleep also greatly affects your immune system. At night, your body gets the chance to repair damaged cells and recharge the immune system. A good night's sleep is important for your immune system and your microbiome. Occasionally having a bad or short night's sleep is not immediately harmful, but prolonged sleep deprivation can disrupt hormone balance, leading to more inflammation and weakened gut health. Therefore, adequate sleep is essential for both your gut and overall well-being.
Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule and aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Put your phone away in time, dim the lights, and create a calm atmosphere before bedtime. Want to know more? Here's how to optimise your sleep hygiene.
Good to Know
Healthy guts are the foundation for a strong immune system. Take good care of your gut with the right nutrition, exercise, sleep, and relaxation. This way, you provide your body and immune system with the best support to get through the winter as well as possible this year. Your gut then gives you the optimal protection so that you feel fit in the coming months and are as little sick as possible.
Sources
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