Gut good, all good

The healthier your intestinal flora - the stronger your immune system

A healthy intestinal flora is considered the most effective way to strengthen your immune system in the long term. This is because a full 80% of the immune system is located in the gut. If the intestinal flora is healthy and balanced, the risk of chronic and acute illnesses is significantly reduced. 

However, if the intestinal flora gets out of balance, we are more susceptible to infections and suffer from digestive disorders. This is a great danger, especially in winter when more viruses are on the move.

This is exactly the time to start building up your intestinal flora in order to strengthen your immune system in the long term and prepare it for the cold season. Then viruses, bacteria and the like will have a bad hand!

➤ 80 % of your immune system is located in your gut!

What exactly is intestinal flora?

The intestinal flora basically describes all microorganisms in the human intestine. A distinction is made between beneficial and harmful bacteria. If the intestinal flora contains more beneficial bacteria, it is referred to as healthy intestinal flora. Their task is to densely colonize the intestinal mucosa and thus form a barrier against pathogens and the like. 

In addition to its important function as a natural barrier, the intestinal flora is also involved in metabolizing our food. A well-functioning intestinal flora enables nutrients from food to be optimally utilized and made available to the body. 

However, our intestinal flora not only works for itself, it is also connected to our brain via the so-called gut-brain axis. If we suffer from a disturbed gut flora, this can sometimes promote mental illnesses and problems.

➤ If your gut is not healthy, neither are you!

The balance is in danger ...

Due to various factors, it can unfortunately very easily happen that our intestinal flora gets out of balance. This leads to dysbiosis, i.e. a condition in which the proportion of harmful bacteria predominates and favors diseases. 

Very damaging are for example:

• an unhealthy diet with lots of sugar and little fiber
• Alcohol and drugs
• Stress
• Medication such as antibiotics, acid blockers or anti-inflammatories 
• Intestinal infections such as gastrointestinal flu or parasites 

The problem of dysbiosis

The problem is that dysbiosis automatically weakens the body's own defenses, giving harmful bacteria, parasites and viruses an easy ride.

And that's not all - other diseases such as diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel diseases and allergies are also associated with dysbiosis.

Probiotics are considered to be the most effective method of positively changing the intestinal microbiota and creating a new balance in the micro-intestinal flora.

➤ Viruses feel right at home in the cold season!

This is how you rebuild your intestinal flora:

1. build up intestinal flora with probiotics

What do current studies say?

According to studies, probiotics and prebiotics are ideal for building up the intestinal flora and thus the immune system.

• In 2009, a study was conducted with children in which the participants took probiotics daily for a period of 6 months. The results were clear. They showed a significant reduction in fever, cough and runny nose, and antibiotic consumption was reduced by over 80%. In general, this study shows that probiotics can sustainably strengthen the immune system and reduce the number of illnesses. 
• Another study from 2018 explains that probiotics improve the so-called epithelial defense function and regulate the intestinal microbiota, which reduces the risk of infection. 
• Experts believe that probiotics can strengthen the immune system of any age group, including older people. This is according to a study from 2014.

You should pay attention to this:

• The right combination of probiotics and prebiotics: A synbiotic, i.e. a mix of probiotics and prebiotics, is best. Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria and prebiotics are soluble fiber and serve as food for the bacteria.
• Regular intake: Take pro- and prebiotics daily and regularly so that you benefit from them in the long term.
• Correct composition: A good synbiotic contains high doses of lactic acid and bifido cultures.

2. avoid disruptive factors

As mentioned, there are many causes that can unbalance the intestinal flora. Probably the worst of these include

• Antibiotics: Antibiotics are probably the biggest enemy of healthy intestinal flora. This is because their aim is to kill bacteria in the body. However, not only the harmful bacteria are killed, but also the good ones. As a result, you are more susceptible to infections after antibiotic therapy. Without support, it can take up to 6 months for the intestinal flora to regenerate itself. You should therefore ALWAYS build up your intestinal flora with beneficial bacteria after therapy. Another disadvantage of antibiotics is the risk of resistant bacteria, which can have serious consequences. 
• Unhealthy diet: An unhealthy diet with lots of sugar, bad fats and little fiber is also very harmful. A study has shown that a diet high in sugar and fat has a negative effect on the composition of the intestinal flora, reduces the barrier of the intestinal mucosa and thus increases susceptibility to infections. A high-fiber, alkaline or anti-inflammatory diet is ideal. 
• Stress: makes you ill in the long run! Because stress has a direct effect on our intestinal flora. But avoiding stress is not that easy. For example, start with tried and tested techniques to systematically reduce it.

Conclusion

The easiest and most sustainable way to strengthen your immune system in the long term is through your own intestinal flora. This is because 80% of the immune system can be found in it. If your gut is doing well, your health is doing well. So start early to promote the beneficial bacteria in your intestinal flora and thus prevent infection with viruses, bacteria and parasites.

NOW is the time to build up your immune system!

 

Sources (in English):

Martinez-Medina, M., Denizot, J., Dreux, N., Robin, F., Billard, E., Bonnet, R., Darfeuille-Michaud, A., & Barnich, N. (2014). Western diet induces dysbiosis with increased E coli in CEABAC10 mice, alters host barrier function favouring AIEC colonisation. Gut, 63(1), 116–124, doi.10.1136/gutjnl-2012-304119

Leyer, G. J., Li, S., Mubasher, M. E., Reifer, C., & Ouwehand, A. C. (2009). Probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children. Pediatrics, 124(2), e172–e179, doi.10.1542/peds.2008-2666

de Vrese, M., & Schrezenmeir, J. (2008). Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics. Advances in biochemical engineering/biotechnology, 111, 1–66, doi.10.1007/10_2008_097

Yaqoob P. (2014). Ageing, immunity and influenza: a role for probiotics?. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 73(2), 309–317, doi.10.1017/S0029665113003777

Zhou, B., Yuan, Y., Zhang, S., Guo, C., Li, X., Li, G., Xiong, W., & Zeng, Z. (2020). Intestinal Flora and Disease Mutually Shape the Regional Immune System in the Intestinal Tract. Frontiers in immunology, 11, 575, doi.10.3389/fimmu.2020.00575

Rodríguez-Nogales, A., Algieri, F., Garrido-Mesa, J., Vezza, T., Utrilla, M. P., Chueca, N., García, F., Rodríguez-Cabezas, M. E., & Gálvez, J. (2018). Intestinal anti-inflammatory effect of the probiotic Saccharomyces boulardii in DSS-induced colitis in mice: Impact on microRNAs expression and gut microbiota composition. The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 61, 129–139, doi.10.1016/j.jnutbio.2018.08.005

Chen, Y., Li, Z., Tye, K. D., Luo, H., Tang, X., Liao, Y., Wang, D., Zhou, J., Yang, P., Li, Y., Su, Y., & Xiao, X. (2019). Probiotic Supplementation During Human Pregnancy Affects the Gut Microbiota and Immune Status. Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 9, 254, doi.10.3389/fcimb.2019.00254