You’ve probably heard by now that the gut and the immune system are pretty chummy. In fact, up to 80 per cent of your immune system is in your gut.
But stop and think about that for a sec: what does it actually mean? How does one system affect the other? And why is this so important to our overall health?
What actually is your “immune system”?
Short story, your immune system is like The Avengers of the body (the cells, proteins, tissues and organs), working tirelessly to keep the bad guys from taking over the world.
“When foreign substances (antigens) invade the body, our cells produce antibodies to fight them off,” says dietitian and IQS gut health expert, Kerith Duncanson.
“The antibodies lock onto the antigens, then work with our T cells to destroy them. They also help to neutralise damaging toxins, which contributes to immunity.”
Your gut and your immune system are connected.
Think about it like this: your gut is the main route of contact with the outside world. Whatever we put inside our bodies has to pass through this system before it can be used. Or removed.
So, it kind of makes sense that the majority of your immune cells and tissues hang out there, as gatekeepers between the external and internal worlds.
But the immune system cohabitates with a very lively internal world, specifically the trillions of gut bacteria that occupy our digestive tract. In an ideal gut, these guys help and support the immune system (they have to live together, so they may as well get on!).
When all is well in gut world…
“Good” gut bacteria help the body identify incoming stuff as foreign or potentially dangerous and can trigger a response from the immune system.
In a healthy gut, the number of bad guys is limited and tightly controlled by the good bacteria and the immune system working together in harmony, keeping you healthy and preventing infection or toxin build up.
… but things can get out of balance.
If, however, the good bacteria are weakened, the bad bacteria can get out of control and wreak havoc on our overall health and immunity.
They can produce exaggerated or abnormal immune responses, which can result in inflammation, allergic reactions, leaky gut and autoimmune diseases.
It can also put stress on other systems, making it harder for the body to eliminate toxins.
“And on the flip-side, the treatment of immune system conditions can have a negative influence the gut microbiome,” notes Kerith. “In particular, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications are known to alter the balance of gut bacteria, particularly if they are used long term.”
As if you needed another reason to love your gut!
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