The gut plays an integral role in maintaining healthy immunity, with approx. 80% of our white blood cells living in and around our gut. This makes sense when you think about our gut being an “easy access” for harmful microbes to enter our bodies.

What we eat, will depend on whether an inflammatory or anti-inflammatory response is induced. The message sent out by these immune cells is dependant on the strains of bacteria in your gut. A good balance of microbiota in the gut is vital for healthy immune function.

Pathogenic organisms produce toxic chemicals while alive. These are the most potent stimulators of the inflammatory response, this inflammatory response will begin to damage the lining of the gut and developing a leaky gut over time.

A leaky gut leads to loss of integrity of the cells that line the gut, allowing microbes to enter the bloodstream causing an immune response.

For maximum absorption of all the goodness from your food, consider eating a diet low in inflammatory foods and speak to your naturopathic practitioner for some gut healing and nourishing herbs.

Diet & Immunity

Diet is one of the most fundamental drivers behind immune dysfunction. Poor diet choices as we learned earlier can disrupt gut health with major consequences. Not only that, but the food we eat can contribute to inflammation and our nutritional status which ultimately impair immune function.

Current scientific knowledge and clinical experience tells us that the standard western diet, high in carbohydrates and processed foods, but low in fruit, vegetables and good fats is detrimental to virtually all aspects of health. The standard high carbohydrate, low fat, low protein diet causes:

• Increased incidences of inflammatory conditions
• Common allergies
• Immune system over-activation
• Accelerated biological ageing
• Raised serum insulin levels causing insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity
• A lack of energy and vitality
• Reduced stress tolerance

There are specific foods that can interact with immunity such as:

Sugar: Sugar and refined carbohydrates are heavily overused in Western diets, most these foods will eventually break down into glucose which has been shown to increase and trigger inflammatory changes.

Grains & dairy: The proteins found in gluten & dairy containing foods, can stimulate an immunological response that can initiate localised gut inflammation and a systemic inflammatory response.

Saturated fats & fatty acids: Omega-6 fatty acids are important for physiology, but our typical diets tend to exceed the requirements, making the effect of omega-6 pro inflammatory. A health ratio of omega 6 to omega-3 is 4:1 whereas our typical diets can contain a ratio of 30:1.

You can obtain needed nutrients for a healthy gut & immune response from a varied diet of fruit, veggies, whole foods and a good quality supplement.

Some of these immune stimulating wholefoods include: