I love it when I get to learn new things particularly when it comes to the microbiome and immune system.
I spent 3 days last weekend listening to top experts in the country talk about the connection between your microbiome and your immune system and what it takes to ensure that the connection is strong.
I think we have all just assumed that our immune system is ready to go at a moment’s notice.
Many of us have had a strong dose of reality during Covid through losing one of our own loved ones or by knowing someone who has.
It’s been a hard year full of loss.
And the strong dose of reality can lead you to believe that you or your loved ones could be next.
We know that the elderly experience a higher risk of mortality with Covid.
We know that most children are going to be okay.
The rest of us, it’s a little less telling as to whether or not we might be at greater risk.
Or is it?
We’ve been glued to the television hoping for some good news but ultimately being led to fear for our lives.
I won’t get into how that isn’t working in your favor but I think by diving into the science of the connection between your immunity and your gut health, maybe you’ll have a better understanding and an opportunity to lower the risk if you do happen to get exposure.
Ok, let’s dive into the science of what I have learned.
There were so many aha moments during the conference but what I think really stood out was a study done that researched the connection between your gut microbiome and your immune system.
I don’t think the details are important.
What I do think is important is the final outcome
#1. Basically, your immune system will cease to exist without our microbiome.
#2. Your Microbiome is your neighborhood watch for the immune system.
If your microbiome is weak or unhealthy, it won’t matter how strong your immune system is, it cannot provide the communicate to your immune system and therefore your immune system won’t activate.
How does the immune system work?
There are two phases.
The first line if cellular defense is your innate immunity made up of antigen presenting cells, neutrophils, natural killer cells (important in viral infections), mast cells, and intestinal epithelial cells.
Second line of defense is your adaptive immunity which is more of a long term protection made up of B-cells and T-cells.
All are activated and supported by the microbiome.
If you have an unhealthy microbiome, your immune system cannot work in your favor.
When your body experiences an invader, for instance, a virus.
Your innate immune response will activate within hours of the recognition of the virus.
In order for the innate immune response to happen, inflammation must also happen.
The inflammatory response is what makes you feel sick.
In order for the adaptive immune response to kick in, the inflammation has to be turned off.
This is when you start to feel better.
In this response, your immune system starts to become adaptive, developing true immunity.
If your innate immune system is unable to respond and turn off the inflammation, your body moves into a cytokine storm and this is when things can go very wrong.
Every stage of the immune system requires that the microbiome takes action.
Without the microbiome, the immune cells never mature, and the immune system ceases to exist.
The big issue we have as a country is that 1 out of 2 people have a chronic illness and 1 out of 4 has two or more chronic illnesses.
This means we have a prolonged immune response which damages tissues creating autoimmune disease.
Low grade inflammation means that cytokines are being signaled all the time.
This makes your immune system vulnerable.
This is why illnesses having low grade inflammation makes you more susceptible to viruses like Covid.
So, what is the point.
If your microbiome is healthy it will provide the proper signaling to the immune system to help it react in the right way.
Your immune system cannot overcome an unhealthy microbiome.
And a vaccine is only going to work if your immune system is healthy.
So if you are counting on the vaccine, you might want to rethink it, particularly if you know you haven’t really been supporting health in your system.
What can you do?
It’s all about managing the lifestyle factors.
What are they again?
- Diet
- Exercise
- Sleep
- Stress management.
All with a focus on leaky gut solutions.
Meaning supporting your microbiome with spore-based probiotics and the food they need to survive.
It keeps coming down to this, over and over again.
I know I sound like a broken record, but I assure you, the foundation of your health is really this simple.
My question to you is?
Are you going to live in your home in fear for the rest of your life, or are you ready to take your health into your hands and give yourself a fighting chance at life?
It’s up to you.
And if you are interested in talking more about how to support your health in the right way so that your body is prepared to fight, I am always happy to have that conversation.
You can set up a time for us to chat by clicking on the link below.
Choose the Discovery Call and pick a time that works for you.
https://go.oncehub.com/YHMSmeetme
Can’t wait to chat with you.
Have a wonderful rest of your week.
