One of the ways to tune up your immune system and give you more resistance to the Coronavirus is to heal your intestines.  A healthy gastrointestinal tract is often synonymous with a healthy immune system, which strengthens your resistance to any and all infections.

Roughly 60% to 80% of our entire immune system is estimated to surround our gastrointestinal tract to keep our microbiome, the bacteria, fungus, parasites and viruses, in check.   If an overgrowth of unfriendly flora occurs or our immune system is reacting to various foods (e.g., food allergy), a lot of our immune systems energy is diverted to the intestines and away from the immune system’s other responsibilities such as resisting or fighting infectious invaders like Coronavirus.

Symptoms of an Unhealthy Microbiome

How can we tell if the immune system is wasting its energy fighting food proteins or the flora growing in our intestines?  One way is to consider symptoms.  If bloating, excess gas, abdominal discomfort, loose stools, acid reflux or constipation are a regular occurrence, you may be suffering with food allergy/sensitivity and/or the overgrowth of unfriendly intestinal flora.  Sometimes it is impossible to figure out which foods are involved, and which micro-organisms are overgrown without diagnostic functional medicine testing, like a stool test, a urine test and blood work.  Once the diagnosis is made, it’s a relatively simple process to correct the flora and get your immune system to then divert its attention away from the intestines to other parts of your body.

Healing the Gut with the 5 R’s

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It is never too late to start caring for one of the most important organs of elimination of your body, the colon.

The colon is one of the five major organs of elimination. Its main function is to rid your body of the leftover waste your body no longer needs.  If your colon isn’t working the way it should, you may experience problems such as constipation, bloating, gas, brain fog, stomachache, and overall lack of wellness. As part of the gastrointestinal system, healthy bacteria in the gut is key to a strong immune system, and to maintain health. 

So how do we keep a healthy balance of good bacteria in the gut?

 

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When considering what is healthy for our overall digestion, it is important to understand that the gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem.   The inherent diversity of an optimal gut flora is a key component of a healthy digestive tract.  The human body is made up of more bacterial cells than human.  It is critical that these bacteria consist of beneficial flora that can aid and support our health.  In nature, the vitality of the soil is an important factor in both the composition of plants that will grow as well as the strength of those plants.   Similarly, we need to plant the proper seeds or probiotics in our gut and water this diverse soil with a healthy diet.

What determines the health of the "soil" in our gut microbiome?

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Leaky gut is an often overlooked condition, especially if you have been diagnosed with another disease. This is unfortunate because it may be a root cause of many other health problems.

Some 2,500 years ago, the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, said,  “All disease begins in the gut," and now modern medical research has proven he was largely correct. 

Leaky gut syndrome is essentially caused by gaps in the "tight junctions" of the intestinal lining (intestinal hyperpermeability).  These “tight junctions” act as a kind of gateway between your intestines and blood stream, where nutrition is absorbed and where toxins, microbes and undigested food particles are ideally kept from entering the blood stream. Problems can occur when the tight junctions widen and become too permeable, due to inflammation in the gut, letting too much through.

Leaky gut can be caused by many factors, such as:

Diet

Consuming high amounts of refined sugars, processed foods, preservatives, refined flours, and genetically modified food (GMO's) put a burden on the body and tend to increase inflammation in the gut.

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Why is a healthy gut essential?

Gut health is crucial to optimal health but is often overlooked in health circles. Unhealthy gut can be a significant contributor to inflammatory conditions such as chronic pain and immune issues. It can slow down energy and hamper mental focus. Approximately 80% of the immune system is actually located in the gut. The gut acts as an engine to power and sustain the rest of the body. Similar to a car that needs regular oil changes to run efficiently or it will malfunction or stop running altogether, the gut needs healthy food and lots of clean water, along with regular “cleaning” in order to function optimally.

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