Dysbiosis interferes with healthy immune system activity in a few different ways.
Harmful bacteria produce many damaging toxins, including lipopolysaccharides (LPS toxins). Both the bad bacteria and their toxic by-products attack the protective lining — known as the gut barrier — inside the intestines.
The gut barrier’s job is to allow nutrients out into the bloodstream while keeping pathogens and toxins safely locked inside the gut. When bad bacteria, LPS toxins, and other harmful compounds attack, they damage the gut barrier and escape into the bloodstream. From there, they can reach any part of your body and do even more harm.
Your immune system detects these threats and starts to respond. It uses inflammation as one of its main defensive weapons. Since new threats constantly leak through the gut barrier, your immune system can’t shut down its responses. That leads to system-wide, long-term inflammation — the root cause of many autoimmune and chronic conditions.
At the same time, the bad bacteria in the gut prevent good bacteria from flourishing. Probiotic bacteria play a crucial role in optimal immune function by:
- Helping digest food completely and increasing nutrient absorption
- Producing essential nutrients such as B vitamins and vitamin K
- Producing short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that help regulate immune cell function
- Creating anti-inflammatory compounds
- Protecting against pathogens
- Maintaining a strong gut barrier
So, in dysbiosis, when bad bacteria are in charge, your immune system loses out on all of that support.
The solution: Rebalance the gut microbiome so beneficial bacteria can flourish and get your immune system back on track.
5 Steps to Fix a Gut Imbalance
You can rebalance an unhealthy gut and keep it in healthy shape by making five simple changes to your daily routine. Keep when considering how to improve gut health, you must achieve better balance between of the microorganisms in your gut.
- Detoxify your gut: In order for probiotic bacteria to survive, you need to remove the toxins that threaten them. Using natural detox and cell-supporting agents — like clinically-proven modified citrus pectin — can help your body get rid of toxins and other culprits that cause dysbiosis, while actively supporting gut health and protecting cell function.
- Take probiotics: High-quality probiotics help restore an unhealthy gut back into balance. Giving your body a fresh supply of probiotics every day is a crucial part of keeping your gut — and your immune system — in harmony.
- Nourish probiotics with prebiotics: Beneficial gut bacteria require a special diet made up of prebiotic fiber. Prebiotics sustain probiotics, and allow them to produce healing compounds like SCFAs.
- Eat a healthy diet: Sugary, fatty processed foods harm your gut microbiome. Fresh, natural whole foods provide the nutrients and fiber your gut needs to stay in healthy balance.
- Exercise regularly: Moderate physical activity increases probiotic populations and enriches probiotic diversity. Exercising on most days improves your microbiome health — and your overall health as well.
When functioning at its best, your gut is an immune powerhouse. It also works hard to keep your neurological health in peak shape, while nourishing your body and removing toxins and waste. The more we learn about the intricate connections between gut function, immunity and overall wellness, the more tools and strategies we have to improve this core foundation of optimal health.