I wanted to talk this week about your gut, your number 1 immune system. When you think of immune system you think about your tonsils, or the thymus gland, lymph nodes, right? Well, in-fact, your gut trumps all those glands and is actually the key to immune health.

Let’s first give a little anatomy lesson so that you understand what I’m talking about when I say the “gut” . As you know digestion first and foremost starts in the mouth. That is actually where you first start digesting carbohydrates, from enzymes in your saliva. Moving down the line, the food moves down your pharynx into your esophagus, leading to the stomach. Now the stomach is a huge player in digestion, if the acid is not adequate to break down your food, particularly proteins, you won’t absorb anything. In fact, your stomach LOVES acid, it does bathe in a pool of acid after all. If there is any irregularities in this acid, like the acidity is too low, or theres not enough of it, this leads to digestion issues, acid reflux ect. Antacids actually worsen the issue because they further deplete the acid. The stomach acid being inadequate is common because of our typical american diet, but some people are born without sufficient amount of acid as well.

We then move down to the small intestine, which is where you absorb most all of your nutrients. If food isn’t broken down in the stomach, often times it isn’t utilized and ferments in the stomach. The small intestine uses enzymes from the liver and bile from the gallbladder to break down food further. All along the small intestine are what are called villi (think of them like little hands) that help grab nutrients and absorb it into the wall through the bloodstream. If there is any inflammation in the small intestine, then the villi can be damaged and inhibit your absorption. One cause for this is conditions like: Crohn’s disease, gluten intolerance and many severe food allergies.

Next, whatever isn’t absorbed in the small intestine moves into the large intestine. It takes about 36 hours to move all the food along the large intestine until it’s excreted out. The waste itself is mostly food and bacteria. These bacteria are the KEY to gut health. Not only do they break down food, but they synthesize various vitamins, and protect against harmful bacteria.

TELL ME MORE ABOUT THESE BACTERIA

These bacteria (called our microbiome) actually have minds of their own, and it is often said you have other living beings inside of you! These bacteria send messages throughout the body, some even tell your body that you are full (You can thank them when you turn down that sugary dessert). Studies have also shown that dys-regulation in these bacteria can lead to even anxiety and depression problems. Furthermore, a study in mice showed that those without any microbiome actually had compromise in their blood brain barrier in their brain! This is extremely important because, if you don’t have any immunity against foreign bacteria, you will be more susceptible to infections and disease. It is even theorized that many autoimmune diseases stem from poor gut health, because of lack of protection.

WHAT CAUSES DYSFUNCTION?

As mentioned previously, our typical american diet with loads of sugar and carbs, creates a great imbalances in these natural bacteria. It can sometimes cause overgrowth of some as well, such as candida, which is normal in our body, but overgrowth can cause of myriad of symptoms and is tricky to treat. Candida in itself is a whole different topic.

Stress and adequate sleep also play a big role. If you are stressed your immunity goes down, as well as insufficient sleep.

Antibiotics are also a big culprit in creating dysfunction. Antibiotics are sometimes vital, but I believe there is also a HUGE over usage of them. Here’s what happens with antibiotics, they kill everything.. The good AND bad bacteria. This creates a huge dys-regulation in the microbiome. As more are used, the natural immunity decreases, so people end up needing more antibiotics and at stronger doses because of resistance. There are many natural options in place of antibiotics, but keeping up your gut health is always priority.

Babies who are born C-section are also compromised from these vital bacteria because they don’t receive their mother’s healthy microbiome down the birth canal.

If we don’t have our natural immunity at its best, then we are susceptible to many pathogens, and illnesses.

So, the gut is our number one SUPERHERO! It is the start for any condition to look into.

HOW CAN I REPLENISH THE MICROBIOME?

It’s best to replenish them everyday with what you eat. Fermented foods are an excellent source of natural probiotics. I like the brand Bubbies sourkraut best. Kefir is also a good source of probiotics, but not the flavored ones that are high in sugar. I’m not a huge fan of dairy products such as yogurt, but if you do I suggest an organic raw form of yogurt that is plain.

If you have recently been on antibiotics or have been on a lot in the past, you probably need a supplementation of probiotics. Make sure you know where you are getting them from; ones from costco, and walgreens, ect. aren’t good sources and won’t do you any good. We have top of the line products that are researched to be highly absorbed in your gut.