Gut health: the key to improving your immune function

Did you know that your gut contains 70-80% of your total body immune cells? Yes, your gut health plays a major role in developing & maintaining overall immune function.

If you experience symptoms such as:

• Recurrent infections

• Frequent colds & flu’s

• Mouth ulcers

• Environmental or food allergies or intolerances

• Skin rashes/eczema/psoriasis

• Frequent thrush or UTI’s

Then your gastrointestinal tract function may need some work. Dysfunction in the gut doesn’t always result in gut symptoms (such as bloating, diarrhoea, constipation etc). Some people will present with systemic immune issues, which can be confusing when trying to understand the root cause of your symptoms. Most of the time we reach for the immune function supplements to help & even though these can be incredibly powerful, perhaps focusing on gut health, gut lining integrity, a diverse microbiome & optimal digestion will achieve improved immune function for the long term.

The gut is known as the foundation for many crucial process in the body, including the immune system. It is our first line of immune defence when it comes to pathogens & regulating the whole-body immune function. The gut lining acts as a physical barrier which aims to filter out unwanted microbes, so we want to keep it healthy & thriving.

However, with diets high in inflammatory foods, excess toxins in our environment, overuse of antibiotics & nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories we are seeing conditions such as leaky gut (intestinal permeability) on the rise. What this means is that the tight junctions- the cells that make up the integrity of the gut wall, become inflamed & ‘leaky’, leading to increased permeability, a comprised beneficial microbiome & reduced immune system function.

To improve immune function through your gut, we can combine specific nutrition & supplementation to reduce inflammation & improve microbiome diversity, which will have many benefits for your immune function. Some of our favourite gut healers include:

Aloe Vera Juice

A good quality aloe vera juice can dramatically improve gut function & reduce inflammation. Research has found that aloe vera juice may help to improve leaky gut & acts to enhance digestion & regulate bowel movements. If you experience constipation or slow transit time, aloe vera juice can improve bowel frequency whilst reducing inflammation. Enjoy it with lemon juice & sparkling water.

Irish Sea Moss

Irish sea moss is rising in popularity as a medicinal food & for good reason. Recent studies have found that consuming frequent Irish sea moss gel acts as a prebiotic, the food for your beneficial bacteria. It contains a high amount of dietary fibre & oligosaccharides, that work to improve gut inflammation & resulting in improved immunity.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103)

This specific strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus has positive research pointing towards its benefits for improving intestinal permeability & reconfiguring the gut lining tight junctions. Lactobacillus rhamnosus also reduces inflammation in the gut & directly improves immune function, making it a great probiotic for gut & immune system health.

You may see this listed in a lot of gut products, but not many people realise the incredible benefits of marshmallow root & its actions for the gut. Marshmallow root is a mucilage, meaning that when you mix it with water, it develops a gummy- gel like substance which coats the digestive tract from the moment it enters your mouth - through to your intestinal lining. This mucilage that marshmallow produces is fantastic for healing & soothing irritation & inflammation.

In summary, if you experience recurrent immune issues, try gut healing support to target the underlying cause of impaired immune function.

For further support, you can find me at Flannerys Tewantin or visit your local store & speak with one of our Naturopaths.