Around here, we’re kind of obsessed with gut health, and for a good reason. 

You see, the more we learn about gut health, the better we appreciate its connection to the rest of our body’s systems, including our immunity. 

To refresh your memory, the gut is home to about 100 trillion microbes, including diverse bacteria and microscopic organisms, which play a crucial role in health and disease. 

A whopping 70 percent of the immune system resides in the gut, where diverse bacteria thrive. A diverse legion of healthy microorganisms helps to turn on specific immune cells that can target infectious bacteria and viruses. 

Diet and lifestyle influence the diversity and composition of the bacteria in the gut, which in turn affect immune cells. So, it stands to reason that if you’re having issues with your gut, your immune system may suffer. 

Schooling the Immune Cells

“What’s present in the gut determines what education immune cells get.” “The microbiome and the immune system are critically intertwined,” says Ph.D., a professor of digestive diseases at UCLA.

He says, “what’s present in the gut determines what education immune cells get.”

Are you still with us? We know this is a complex topic, but knowledge is power! So, let’s unpack this a little more and learn... 

How the Gut and Immune System Interact

Dr. Elinor Zhou, a gastroenterologist at Mercy Medical Center, helped break it down in an interview with Martha Stewart Magazine.  

“The immune system helps to decide the composition of the gut microbiome, creating an environment for the good microbes to thrive and for the bad microbes to be eliminated,” Dr. Zhou explains.

The doctor says the immune system can sense the small molecules secreted by microbes. It decides whether the microbe is ‘good’ or ‘bad” and whether it needs to bump up the immune response to get rid of the bad guys. 

So...

Bring on the Good Guys!

You want these ‘good’ gut microbes on your side because down the line they’ll activate key immune cells that will defend you against disease-causing ‘bad’ microbes. 

That’s why we like to say that the key to good health is gut health. 

Take a moment to browse our website featuring a myriad of blogs discussing how diet and lifestyle choices impact gut health. 

And while you’re there, discover our complete line of digestive products that your immune system (and the rest of your body!) will love. 

 https://connect.uclahealth.org/2021/03/19/want-to-boost-immunity-look-to-the-gut/