Why is gut health important for good immune function?

There are various sites around the body where immune cells are developed and interact with each other, including the bone marrow, the lymph nodes, the spleen - and of course the gut. Around 70% of our immune system resides in our gut, making it arguably the most influential area in our body as far as the immune system is concerned.

It’s important to remember that the main role of our immune system is to promote tolerance. Deciding what NOT to react to is of primary importance; lack of tolerance can be a trigger and mediator for autoimmune conditions.

So how does promoting good gut health help our immune system function well?

Having a robust and well-functioning gut microbiome protects and bolsters our ability to deal with infections on several levels. Certain gut microbes maintain the integrity of the structure of our gut wall by stopping harmful pathogens or other inappropriate molecules from passing through the gut wall and entering the bloodstream. These microbes secrete anti-biotic and anti-fungal chemicals that attack harmful microbes, preventing them from taking over the gut microbiome.

Beneficial gut bacteria support an anti-inflammatory environment, which is why good gut health can support autoimmune conditions. To nourish our good bacteria, we need to feed them lots of different kinds of fibre. We do this by eating a diverse range of plant foods. Concentrating on eating a wide variety of colours is a good way to do this, as well as ensuring we are eating whole foods, meaning that they haven’t undergone processing which has stripped away parts of the plant.

It is recognised that those who suffer from autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis tend to have imbalances in their gut populations. Lacking certain populations of gut bacteria has been shown to increase the risk of exaggerated immune responses.

Research suggests that one cause of autoimmunity may be that the immune cells have been exposed to molecules that have entered directly into the bloodstream via ‘gaps’ in the lining of our gut wall. As these molecules have not been properly processed and identified by the immune system cells within the gut, they trigger an aggressive immune response that leads to tissue damage.

Research continues in this area, but clinical evidence suggests that supporting gut wall health, through nourishing the microbiome, as well as supporting digestive secretions and removing any triggering foods from the diet, may in some cases lead to an improvement in autoimmune conditions.

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