Gastrointestinal (GI) health has always been the cornerstone of health in the integrative medicine world and it is even more important these days as we continue to face COVID-19. If you want to get your immune system in shape, focus on your gut. The gut houses 70% of the immune system, making it a huge player in optimizing immune function. It can be a major source of systemic inflammation, and getting rid of non- purposeful inflammation is a priority for health, especially in light of COVID-19 which can cause an enormous inflammatory response. A healthy GI system is also key to proper digestion and absorption of food, which is needed to obtain many of the nutrients for the immune system.
The gut can be detrimentally affected in many different ways: overuse of antibiotics and steroids, proton pump inhibitors, frequent use of NSAIDS, a poor diet containing many processed and inflammatory foods, nutritional insufficiencies, impaired digestion, over use of alcohol, smoking, food sensitivities, toxins, infections, stress, head trauma, and even over-exercising. These factors, amongst others, can lead to an imbalance of the microbes in the gut called dysbiosis, and all of these can cause intestinal permeability, or leaky gut.
A leaky gut can manifest with digestive issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, but it can also cause symptoms unrelated to GI issues such as food intolerances, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue, brain fog, and skin issues. The main concern with having a leaky gut is that it leads to activation of the immune system, which causes chronic inflammation. With a leaky gut, substances that are not normally seen by the immune system, including certain bacteria and foods, travel from the gut into the bloodstream, are seen as invaders by the body and trigger an immune response.
Having a well balanced GI microbiome and fixing any dysbiosis is super important in supporting the immune system. It helps with leaky gut, leading to decreased immune activation. The beneficial microbes produce short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate that support immune cells in the gut and decrease inflammatory cytokines. They also produce many vitamins and activate plant compounds we consume so we are able to reap their benefits. And an optimized GI microbiome can induce the secretion of the immunoglobulin secretory IgA (sIgA) from immune cells in the gut. sIgA acts as the first line of defense against bacteria, viruses, toxins, and food allergens by preventing these substances from binding to epithelial cells and getting into the body, thereby halting a potential infection or inflammatory response.
So what do you need to do to make your gut healthy? The number one priority is to clean up the diet. Take out the junk food, the sugar, the processed foods, the non-organic grain fed meats, the alcohol, and any foods you may be sensitive to and eat a nutrient dense, whole foods diet. Give the vegetables a whole lotta love. The more diverse, the better. Add in probiotic foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi and feed the good bacteria in the gut with prebiotic foods like asparagus, jerusalem artichoke and jicama. The microbiome can change within days based on what you eat. Changing the diet can be much more powerful than popping a probiotic. Rest and digest while you eat. Sit down, take a few breaths, and slowly enjoy your food. Think twice about whether you really need that NSAID and use antibiotics judiciously. Manage your stress. Stress can absolutely tank your sIgA. Starting with these tips will get you well on your way to a healthy gut and improved immunity, and you can find a functional medicine provider to further help you along the way.