by Freda Coetzee
Fight Colds and the Flu from the Inside Out
Want to stay healthy during the cold months? Good gut health can help!
You know what to do to keep viruses and bacterial infections at bay: wash your hands frequently, eat vitamin-rich foods, and take immune boosters.
A healthy gut can also strengthen your immune system. You can ward off illnesses by taking good care of your intestines.
What is your immune system?
The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that helps your body fight off infections and diseases. It recognizes foreign invaders from the body’s own cells and produces antibodies and other defensive tools to fight them off. It also works to keep harmful substances, such as viruses, bacteria, and toxins, from entering the body.
The most commonly known parts of the immune system are:
White blood cells
Antibodies
Lymphatic system
Bone marrow
There are other body parts like your skin, lungs and digestive tract that also ward off harmful substances.
Research about the function of the digestive tract has exploded in the last couple of years. Your intestines do a lot more than just digest.
How does my gut affect my immune system?
Your digestive system is not only a great means of extracting the essential elements – such as vitamins, minerals, energy, protein, and fat – out of the food you consume. It also works in conjunction with other systems within the body, including the circulatory system, the nervous system, and the lymphatic system.
The sports dietitian and nutritionist Mitch Smith uses the image of fortified castle walls to explain how the gut helps you stay healthy. He explains:
The lining of the gut walls contain Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT) and this tissue watches out for anything that has been absorbed into the bloodstream which could be potentially harmful.
GALT is densely populated by Peyer’s Patches, which are small, specialised masses of lymphatic tissue. Their job is to detect bad bacteria, capture them, and neutralise them.
Think of GALT as a castle moat and walls, while the Peyer’s Patches are the archers shooting down only the enemy (bad bacteria) while allowing entry to the friendly forces (good bacteria).
Our bodies naturally have immune cells that act as a defence against harmful bacteria, but having a healthy gut flora helps these cells do their job efficiently.
Through the fermentation of fibre and resistant starch, “good” bacteria produce butyrate, a fatty acid, which increases circulation to the gut wall, fueling the cells lining the colon.
This process is vital for repairing and growing healthy colon cells, and it helps keep “bad” bacteria in check and the Peyer’s Patches can perform their job of protecting you. If the enemy (bad bacteria) grows exponentially and starts climbing over your fort walls your archers will struggle to do their job.
Although friendly bacteria don’t interact directly with a virus itself; they promote a healthy gut and, subsequently, a healthy immune system – and a strong immune system will keep you healthy.
How do I gear up my guts?
In order to better your gut health, you’d want good bacteria to grow, grow, grow.
Here is what you can do:
Feed your good bacteria
Eat lots of fibre. Beneficial bacteria thrive on fibre. Eating food that are fibre-full, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria.
Eat probiotics. Fermented foods like yogurt, kombucha, kefir and sauerkraut already contain helpful bacteria which can help regulate immune system responses. You can also take a probiotic supplement.
Take a supplement. Taking a probiotic supplement can boost the number of good bacteria in your gut and help them to grow quicker. You can try Manna Gut Support. This supplement helps to reinstate digestive bacteria (good flora) and essential digestive enzymes which helps to improve gut health and strengthen the immune system.
Eat a variety of foods. The more diverse your microbiome is, the healthier you’ll be. If you want a greater variety of microorganisms in your gut, your diet should include all kinds of foods. Include more healthy ingredients that are not part of your current meal plan.
Starve your bad bacteria
Feel that craving for a sugary doughnut dripping with rich chocolate icing? Bad bacteria would like that too. Bad bacteria thrive on highly processed foods and foods with lots of sugar.
Most processed foods in supermarkets come in packages and food labels have long lists of ingredients. Try to stay away from these and opt for something fibre-rich and fresh instead.
Get Enough Sleep
Getting 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep every night can help promote healthy gut bacteria. Poor sleep quality can increase inflammation and reduce the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Manage Stress
Scientists say that anxiety and depression are affected by the gut and vice versa. If your microbiome is unbalanced, it can affect your mood. If you are stressed, take good care of yourself. Find time to do activities that you enjoy, journal, meditate or talk to a friend.
Avoid antibiotics
You might have to take antibiotics if you have a bacterial infection. But, the use of antibiotics doesn’t just kill bad bacteria, it kills helpful bacteria too.
Usually, antibiotics cause a short-term decline in beneficial gut bacteria, but they can also have long-term effects as bacteria do not always grow back to the same amounts after antibiotic treatment.
It is best to stay proactive – take good care of your immune system so that you can ward off infections and avoid antibiotics if possible.
Takeaway
Don’t let colds and the flu cause you misery – be proactive by boosting your gut health. In order to do so you need to get your good bacteria growing. Eat fibre-rich foods and avoid highly processed sugary things. You can also manage your stress levels and get good sleep.
