A healthy immune system is crucial to defend your body against pathogens and keep you free of diseases and chronic illnesses. Protecting your immune system will in turn provide optimal health for your body. Your immune system occupies various parts of your body, including your skin, blood, tissues, and the linings of your nose, mouth, and intestinal tract. Specialized cells in your immune system detect unnatural molecules when they enter your body and work to fight off these invaders and protect your organs.
Unfortunately, toxic exposure from unnatural molecules in our environment can weaken the immune system and lead to autoimmune diseases and other chronic health issues. Most of these harmful molecules enter your body through the food you eat. The lining of your small intestine acts as a filter to screen out what enters your body, allowing only beneficial molecules into the bloodstream. Specialized microvilli, tiny hair-like structures in the lining of your intestines, work as filters before food molecules can enter the rest of your body.
However, these specialized immune cells can weaken as you age due to various factors, including:
- The use of antibiotics, which can cause an imbalance of existing bacteria and sometimes lead to an overgrowth of resistant bacteria.
- Consuming alcohol and caffeine, which can irritate the gut lining.
- Chemicals in food such as dyes, preservatives, and flavorings.
- A lack of digestive enzymes from the mouth, stomach, and pancreas.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Motrin® and corticosteroids.
- Consuming highly refined carbohydrate foods that lack micronutrients and fiber, such as candy bars, soft drinks, white breads, and white rice. Fibrous foods, on the other hand, ferment in the digestive tract and produce short-chain fatty acids that heal the intestinal mucous membrane.
- Exposure to mold and fungal mycotoxins found in stored grains, stored fruit, and refined carbohydrates.
- A lack of lactobacilli (healthy bacteria) and minerals derived from fermented and whole foods.
Inflammation Problems
When the lining of your intestine becomes inflamed, antibodies are produced that defend your body against harmless foods. This can produce leaky gut syndrome, where the gut becomes more permeable to large molecules, leading to a hypersensitive immune response. The inflammation from these antibodies does not occur in the gut lining itself, but rather, it stimulates an allergic response that inflames your organs. This can lead to autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and thyroiditis, among other chronic and incurable conditions.
Additionally, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, celiac disease, and even cancers are believed to be a result of an immune response and inflammation. Skin disorders such as psoriasis and eczema have also been linked to the inflammatory process.
Leaky gut syndrome is just one way your immune system can become vulnerable to hypersensitivity and chronic illness. Fortunately, it can be treated with nutrient-rich foods, enzyme supplementation, and avoidance of the triggers that cause it. By maintaining a healthy immune system, you can ensure optimal health and well-being for the long term.
