Probiotics and Immune Health: The Gut Connection

It’s no secret that your gut is super important to your overall health — especially your immune system. But did you know it houses up to 70% of your immune cells? In fact, it acts as your first line of defence against harmful pathogens, working tirelessly to keep you healthy.

Probiotics, the beneficial bacteria in your gut, help maintain this balance. They support digestion, regulate inflammation, and strengthen your body’s natural defences. Without them, your gut can become unbalanced, leaving you more susceptible to illness and chronic health issues.

Unfortunately, modern diets, stress, and lifestyle factors can disrupt your gut health, weakening your immune system. This makes understanding the gut-immune connection and the role of probiotics essential. The good news? You can restore balance and boost your overall health by making minor changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Today, we’ll explore how probiotics influence your immune health and why supporting your gut is important to staying healthy and resilient.

Let’s get started!

Understanding Probiotics and the Gut Microbiome

Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that offer various health benefits, especially for your gut. Unlike harmful bacteria, probiotics help keep your gut microbiome — the ecosystem of trillions of microorganisms living in your digestive tract — balanced and functioning correctly [1].

A balanced microbiome is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system [2]. Beneficial bacteria support digestion, produce vitamins, and protect against harmful pathogens. They also help regulate inflammation [3].

When your gut microbiome is disrupted, harmful bacteria can take over, leading to poor digestion, weakened immunity, and increased inflammation. Probiotics restore balance by increasing the presence of good bacteria [4].

Fact 💡: Different probiotic strains offer unique benefits. For example, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are known to support digestion and immune function [5].

In short, probiotics provide a strong foundation for your immune system and health by helping you to maintain a diverse and healthy gut microbiome.

How the Gut Affects Immune Health

As mentioned earlier, your gut houses around 70% of your immune cells, making it a central hub for your body’s defences [6]. However, your gut also acts as a protective barrier, preventing harmful substances from entering your bloodstream [7].

The beneficial bacteria in your gut work alongside this protective barrier to regulate your immune responses. They help ensure your system reacts properly to threats without overreacting to harmless substances [8].

Inflammation plays a significant role in immunity, too. While short-term inflammation is normal and necessary, chronic inflammation can weaken your immune system [9]. A healthy gut microbiome helps combat this by producing compounds like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which have anti-inflammatory effects [10].

The table below highlights how probiotics contribute to a healthier gut and more muscular immune system:

A diverse microbiome also helps train your immune system to recognise harmful versus harmless substances, reducing your risk of allergies and autoimmune conditions [11].

So, by supporting your gut health, you strengthen your immune system and promote resilience.

Sources of Probiotics: Food and Supplements 

Probiotics are found in foods and supplements, making them easy to include in your daily routine. The following foods are rich in natural probiotics.

• Yoghurt.

• Kefir.

• Sauerkraut.

• Kimchi.

• Miso.

These fermented options are delicious and contain beneficial bacteria supporting your gut health. However, relying solely on food is tricky, especially if your diet doesn’t regularly include fermented foods. 

This is where probiotic supplements help. They make getting a concentrated dose of beneficial bacteria easier, helping you meet your daily needs without hassle. 

Our Organic Greens offer an easy way to support your gut health. It combines probiotics with nutrient-rich superfoods like spinach, kale, and spirulina, giving you added immune and digestive benefits! 😀

Fact 💡: Supplements often use hardy strains like Bacillus coagulans that survive stomach acid, ensuring they reach your gut alive and effective.

Whether through food or supplements, consistently adding probiotics to your diet is essential to maintaining a healthy microbiome and immune system.

Prebiotics: The Key to Feeding Probiotics.

Probiotics may be the most important aspect of gut health, but they need support. That’s where prebiotics come in.

Prebiotics are non-digestible fibres that act as food for probiotics, helping them grow and maintain a healthy balance in your gut [11]. Ingredients like inulin (found in our Organic Greens) are excellent prebiotic sources.

By nourishing beneficial bacteria, prebiotics allow probiotics to do their job effectively [12]. 

Funnily enough, this combination of prebiotics and probiotics is often called a “symbiotic” relationship, as it creates the ideal environment for a thriving gut microbiome [13].

When paired with probiotics, prebiotics enhance digestion, strengthen your gut lining, and boost your immune system [14]. They make a powerful team for improving gut and immune health.

Practical Tips for Supporting Gut and Immune Health

You can strengthen your gut and boost your immune system with simple changes:

1. Include probiotics in your diet. Add foods like yoghurt, kefir, and kimchi to your meals, or consider a supplement like Organic Greens.

2. Incorporate Organic Greens into your routine. A scoop of Organic Greens mixed into water or smoothies provides probiotics and prebiotics, supporting gut balance and immunity in one easy step. It’s a great option for those with busy lifestyles or gaps in their diet.

3. Feed your probiotics with prebiotics. Focus on fibre-rich foods such as garlic, onions, bananas, and oats to nourish your gut bacteria.

4. Stay hydrated. Proper hydration supports digestion and ensures your gut lining stays healthy.

5. Reduce stress. Chronic stress disrupts your gut microbiome [14]. Incorporate relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga into your routine.

6. Get enough sleep. Quality sleep gives your body time to restore and maintain a healthy microbiome [15].

7. Exercise regularly. Moderate physical activity promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria [16].

Combining these habits allows you to maintain a strong gut microbiome, support your immune system, and improve your overall health.

Why Supporting Your Gut is Key to Immune Health

Your gut health and immune system are closely connected. You’re building a stronger foundation for your immune system by nurturing your gut with probiotics and prebiotics.

Whether through dietary changes, lifestyle improvements, or supplements like Organic Greens, small steps to support your gut can benefit your immune health. The secret is to make these changes part of your daily routine, so they become second nature.

Consistency is what makes the difference. When you focus on your gut health, you’re improving digestion, boosting your body’s defences, and setting yourself up a long-term healthy immune system. A balanced gut supports your immune system in fighting off illness, managing inflammation, and helping you stay at your healthiest.

For more insights into nutrition, gut health, and supplements, visit our blog! It’s packed with helpful tips to support your health goals. You can also subscribe to their newsletter to stay updated on new articles, get expert advice, and be the first to learn about product launches.

Want to save on your supplements? Check out our simple 4-step process to subscribe and save more on your orders. With exclusive discounts and a streamlined system, supporting your health has never been easier or more rewarding! 😀

References

[1] [4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3539293/#:~:text=Probiotics%20may%20restore%20the%20composition,intestinal%20or%20systemic%20disease%20phenotypes.

[2] [3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41422-020-0332-7#:~:text=The%20microbiome%20plays%20critical%20roles%20in%20the,maintenance%20of%20key%20features%20of%20host%2Dmicrobe%20symbiosis.&text=Under%20the%20influence%20of%20certain%20environmental%20factors,to%20the%20development%20of%20various%20immune%2Dmediated%20disorders.

[5] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9818925/

[6] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8001875/#:~:text=The%20immune%20system%20plays%20a,the%20local%20mucosal%20immune%20system.

[7] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6104804/#:~:text=The%20intestinal%20barrier%20is%20a,function%20of%20the%20gastrointestinal%20tract.

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279364/

[9] https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/about-arthritis/related-conditions/physical-effects/inflammation-and-the-immune-system

[10] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10180739/

[11] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3337124/

[12] https://www.bjc.org/news/probiotics-and-prebiotics-what-you-need-know-balanced-gut

[13] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5622781/

[14] https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.03067/full

[15] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11279861/

[16] https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/21/3663#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%20evidence%20suggests%20that,healthy%20bacteria%20in%20the%20gut.

 THE CONTENT OF THIS WEBSITE IS NOT DESIGNED TO SERVE AS, NOR SHOULD IT BE INTERPRETED AS MEDICAL GUIDANCE. ALL HEALTH AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION HEREIN IS SOLELY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES. THIS INFORMATION DOES NOT REPLACE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL EVALUATION OR TREATMENT. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR PERSONAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FOR SPECIFIC MEDICAL COUNSEL.