The gut is one of the most important and influential organs in our body— and its impressive size alone makes that clear. With a length of up to 8 meters and a surface area of up to 400 square meters, it plays a role in far more than “just” the digestion of our food. In fact, the gut, its function, and the immune system are directly linked. As a result, it influences all bodily processes. That is why our gut health, in particular, has a major impact on our overall physical and even mental health.
But what does the gut have to do with the immune system? What role does the gut play in relation to the immune system? And what can you do to strengthen a weak immune system? You'll find out all of this in this article.
The Connection Between the Gut and the Immune System
You may have heard that the gut is often referred to as the “center of the immune system.” This is primarily because about 70–80% of our total immune cells are located in the gut. These immune cells are responsible for recognizing and fighting harmful pathogens. They thus play a key role in maintaining our health.
The connection between the gut and the immune system is based primarily on the following three components:
- The gut flora, also known as the gut microbiome, communicates with immune cells and helps them keep pathogenic bacteria in check.
- The intestinal mucosa , as a tight network of cells, prevents pathogens from entering the body.
- GALT ( gut-associated lymphoid tissue) is a complex of lymphoid tissues and various immune cells. It fights harmful pathogens, but is also responsible for oral immune tolerance.
In addition, the mucous membranes throughout the body are in direct communication with one another via the blood and lymphatic systems—with the intestinal mucosa being one of the largest mucous membranes. Consequently, its health also affects the health of the other mucous membranes in the body.
Causes of a Weakened Immune System Related to the Gut
A weakened, “poor” immune system can also be linked to an imbalance in our gut health. This imbalance can be caused by the following factors, among others:
- Taking various medications: Antibiotics, for example, kill not only harmful bacteria but also beneficial bacteria in our bodies—including the gut flora. You can learn more about the connection between gut flora and antibiotics here.
- An unhealthy diet— such as one low in fiber, high in sugar, or rich in highly processed and pro-inflammatory foods and food additives—which can lead to a deficiency in micronutrients or phytochemicals
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits such as chronic stress, smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise
- Physical factors such as disorders of the digestive organs, intestinal infections, or other intestinal problems (such as leaky gut syndrome or irritable bowel syndrome), allergies, or food intolerances
- Other factors, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, exposure to heavy metals or pesticides, cesarean delivery, or not breastfeeding, can weaken the immune system.
Strengthening a Weakened Immune System in the Gut: Here's What You Can Do
So what can you do to improve your gut health—and, in turn, your immune system? The following tips will help you do just that:
- A Balanced Diet: A healthy and varied diet rich in fiber, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, promotes the growth of good gut bacteria. On the other hand, you should eliminate highly processed foods, sugar, and trans fats from your diet as much as possible.
- Probiotic foods such as kimchi, yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kefir contain live microorganisms that can help build up your gut flora—as long as they haven't been heated.
- Regular exercise: Physical activity promotes blood circulation and can thus improve bowel function.
- Adequate sleep and relaxation: Healthy sleep habits and certain relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation, or breathing exercises, can help you bring more calm into your daily life and reduce unhealthy stress.
- Gut Health: You can specifically support your gut health with various dietary supplements—but more on that in a moment.
Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Healthy Mucous Membranes
Various nutrients are essential for comprehensively and holistically improving your gut health. These include:
- Probiotics are live microorganisms that colonize your intestinal mucosa as part of what’s known as the gut flora or gut microbiome. Pro EM san features a premium blend of 31 probiotic bacterial cultures and 24 fermented herbal and plant extracts—in liquid form, so they are “active” and metabolically active.
- Prebiotics are soluble dietary fibers that serve as food for these beneficial gut bacteria. They therefore promote the growth and activity of the gut flora. Pro Präbioma provides you with 4 soluble and highly digestible dietary fibers, plus calcium and zinc, for optimal digestion.
- Nutrients that help build the intestinal mucosa are important for supporting your intestinal mucosa. After all, only a healthy intestinal mucosa is capable of harboring the gut microbiome and absorbing nutrients. Pro Mucosa provides you with a perfectly balanced combination of L-glutamine, lecithin, selected plant extracts, and B vitamins.
Our probiotic gut health regimen combines these three best-selling products—giving you everything you need to comprehensively improve your gut health.
Conclusion: The Complete Gut Health Package for a Healthy and Happy Gut
A healthy immune system starts in the gut— and so a healthy gut is the key to a healthy body. This is because the gut not only houses the majority of our immune cells, but is also crucial for their optimal function. A healthy gut microbiota helps the immune system fight off disease-causing bacteria and inflammation in the body.
If you’re looking to do something specifically good for your gut, we’d like to once again recommend our probiotic gut health regimen featuring our best-selling products: Pro EM san, Pro Präbioma, and Pro Mucosa. This all-in-one gut health package contains everything a healthy and happy gut needs: 31 probiotic bacterial cultures, 4 different types of dietary fiber, polyphenols from 24 fermented herbs and plants, as well as key nutrients for healthy mucous membranes and an intact gut barrier —all in a monthly package with a €30 discount!
Sources
- Ganal SC et al., "Priming of Natural Killer Cells by Nonmucosal Mononuclear Phagocytes Requires Instructive Signals from Commensal Microbiota." Immunity. 2012.
- Hawrelak JA et al., "The Causes of Intestinal Dysbiosis: A Review." Altern Med Rev. 2004.
- Dinan TG. et al., "Regulation of the stress response by the gut microbiota: implications for psychoneuroendocrinology." Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012.
