The Key To A Strong Immune System? A Strong Gut!
Fall is here! While many of us enjoy the cooler weather and warm drinks, others may be suffering from the common cold or the flu due to the seasonal changes. Although sometimes these illnesses are inevitable, your immune system may be taking a hit due to imbalances in your gut. That's right, not only can your gut affect your mood, mental health, and sleep, it can also take a toll on your immune system.
Gut Bacteria And Your Immune System
Over 70% of the immune system is in the gut. When the gut is inflamed from poor diet or other lifestyle choices, the balance of the gut microbiome is off. This can result in digestive issues. This inflammation will directly impact your immune system’s ability to function properly because it is working hard to restore balance within the gut before it aids in fighting off infections.
Viruses and The Gut
A healthy gut can also have an impact on your immune system’s response time. Having a balanced gut microbiome can help your body fight off viruses in the gut and throughout the body. If you keep your gut healthy by eating whole foods and the right supplements, you're more likely to get over the common cold in just a few days rather than being laid out for weeks.
Gut Barrier and Health
We know collagen is great for skin, nails, and hair, but we don’t talk enough about how effective collagen is to help restore and strengthen the intestinal lining that has been broken down over time. Keeping this gut barrier strong is important because it is the first line of defense against illness. When your intestinal lining is compromised, harmful bacteria can make their way into your gut and impact your immune system and digestive health.
Food and The Gut
Having a healthy diet is the most important factor in having a healthy gut. Although a 'healthy diet' looks different for everyone, however, avoiding foods that are high in unhealthy fat, artificial sweeteners, sugar, and are highly processed is a great start. When you eat these foods regularly, your gut is working overtime to break them down. This is taxing for your digestive system and leads to a weakened immune system.
So what should you eat? That depends on your body. But small, consistent changes are effective. Generally, focusing on whole foods and removing any food groups or foods that don’t make you feel good is best. Common foods that cause inflammation include gluten, dairy, soy, corn, and eggs.
Finding the Right Supplements
It’s also crucial to introduce the right supplements into your daily routine. Using the Functional Medicine approach to gut health is a great start. This approach addresses the root cause of why you aren't feeling your best. That is why we created our GoodGut Program, so everyone can have access to supplements that help restore and rebuild the gut.
