How Gut Health Can Supercharge Your Immunity!

In the quest for health and vitality, our immune system is the front-line defender against harmful pathogens and disease. But did you know that the key to boosting the body's natural defences lies in the gut? In fact, new research shows that 70 per cent of the body's immune cells come from the gut, so gut health has a crucial role to play in human immunity.

Understanding Gut Flora

The gut flora is a complex ecosystem of health-related microorganisms in the body. They are made up of bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes and viruses, the vast majority of which are bacteria.

What is gut flora

Gut flora is a general term for a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, that reside in the human gut. These microorganisms not only help synthesise essential vitamins and amino acids, but also participate in metabolic processes that aid in the absorption of minerals. Normal intestinal flora helps maintain intestinal stability, including regulating the permeability of intestinal epithelial cells, stimulating substance metabolism and immune responses. However, dietary habits, such as high sugar intake and processed food consumption, may reduce beneficial bacteria and promote the growth of harmful microorganisms, causing health problems such as intestinal inflammation. Symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation and bloating can be caused if there is an imbalance in the intestinal flora. Therefore, maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle through proper intake of dietary fibre, probiotics and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is the key to maintaining a balanced intestinal flora and promoting overall health.

The importance of the gut microbiome

It has been found that the gut microbiome has a beneficial effect on the onset of severe malnutrition and that this can be restored through regeneration of the microbial community. The gut flora influences nutrient absorption in the body and indirectly affects aspects of immunity and energy metabolism. The intestinal flora also play an important role in energy metabolism, and changes in their composition are associated with the regulation of energy metabolism. They are important for the absorption of nutrients and minerals, the synthesis of enzymes, vitamins and amino acids, and the production of short-chain fatty acids . The presence of gut flora is symbiotic, helping to support energy acquisition, digestion and immune defence. In summary, gut flora has a multifaceted and important impact on human health, including but not limited to digestive health, immune system function, heart health, brain health, bone homeostasis regulation, and energy metabolism. Data suggests that maintaining a healthy gut flora is critical to overall health.

• Production of metabolites: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut flora have a direct impact on bone homeostasis. These metabolites directly inhibit bone resorption, stimulate calcium absorption, and maintain bone health through immunomodulation.

• Regulation of vitamin D levels: Bacteria in the gut are able to regulate vitamin D production using cell signalling proteins. Vitamin D is a key nutrient involved in the construction and maintenance of bone mass. In addition, vitamin D regulates calcium absorption by activating intercellular calcium channels and mediating intracellular calcium diffusion.

• Influence on the immune system: Gut flora indirectly influence bone homeostasis by regulating the host's immune system. There is a close interaction between the immune system and bone metabolism, and changes in gut flora can regulate bone growth and bone mass.

• Maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier: The gut microbiota helps maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier, which is essential for maintaining intestinal health and improving intestinal absorption function. A healthy intestinal environment favours the efficient absorption of calcium and vitamin D.

Foods that promote intestinal health

In order to maintain intestinal health, you can enrich the variety of intestinal flora as much as possible by eating foods containing prebiotics and probiotics

• Onions, leeks, garlic, young dandelion leaves, ginger (artichoke)
• Yoghurt, sauerkraut, certain types of cheese, traditional buttermilk, kombucha tea
• Cruciferous and shallot vegetables
• Nuts and seeds rich in omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and chia and flax seeds
• Root vegetables: e.g. celery, burdock, carrots

Gut Health Supplements

Due to the dietary structure of people nowadays, many times we are unable to eat a lot of foods that are rich in probiotics and prebiotics, we can just take probiotic supplements.

Overview of probiotics and their benefits

Probiotic supplements are a quick way to replenish probiotics and they contain prebiotics, which make it easier for the probiotics to survive and proliferate. At the beginning of taking probiotic supplements, constipation or diarrhoea may occur, this is normal, because the rapid growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract will appear Hirschsprung's reaction, continue to take for a period of time can be normal, usually take a course of treatment for 3 months.

Other supplements to support the gut

• L-Glutamine: As an amino acid, it helps rejuvenate the intestinal mucosa and is a preferred fuel source for small intestinal cells
• Omega-3 and other fatty acids and vitamins A, C and E
• Prebiotics/dietary fibre: e.g. oligofructose
• Magnesium and vitamin C

Conclusion:

Optimising gut health is a powerful way to strengthen the body's defences and boost the immune system