Gut and the Immune System

Every fall I think about immune support. There’s a good reason for this! As we all tend to spend more time indoors and some of us have kids going to culture in petri dishes, I mean, going to learn in schools, our immune systems could use some extra support.

You may be thinking, I thought Dr. Roz was all about gut and brain health. But did you know that up to 70% of our immune system resides within the gut? With the ridiculously named GALT (Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue) and MALT (Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue) doing a ton of heavy lifting in keeping us all well. 

Gut Health

That boost can be as simple as supporting your gut health. That doesn’t mean that gut health supplements are necessary, but paying attention to the symptoms that you may be ignoring or “managing” by avoiding certain food groups. The gut communicates with us in relatively simple terms- bloating, heartburn, excessive belching or gas, constipation, diarrhea and hemorrhoids are all communications from your gut!! Ignoring them or “managing” them can impact your long term health. 

Eat a healthy diet. Balance your fats, proteins, carbohydrates and fiber intake. Stay hydrated even as the weather cools. Keep moving your body to move your bowels. When that is not enough, it’s time to look deeper at your gut health. 

Immune System

To maintain a healthy immune system, it is important to exercise it a little. That does mean that exposure to illness and becoming symptomatic can be beneficial. Having the sniffles, a fever, a day or two of fatigue are all normal and healthy responses to these exposures. Rest, hydration and natural remedies like I wrote about in my blog 10 Natural Remedies for Seasonal Snottiness are all good methods to deal with the fallout of exercising your immune system. But what to do when your immune system is in overdrive?

Autoimmune Disease

Greater than 23 million Americans experience autoimmune disease. That number is rising and the reasons are unknown. Many studies suggest imbalances in the gut microbiome as a major underlying cause for autoimmune disease. Diet and antibiotic use are two methods of altering the gut microbiome.  Through clinical data, gut focused doctors see more improvement in the gut microbiome through dietary variety than through supplementation. 

MCAS

MCAS, or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, can be confused with Autoimmune disease because it is a disruption of the mast cells, which are immune system cells. It can manifest with abdominal pain and lethargy after eating, mystery rashes are a common manifestation as well.  This disorder can cause a body to experience anaphylactic reactions to things that the body does not have an allergy to! This is such a scary component of this disorder that it’s a really good idea to get the mast cells toned down to avoid this response.