Want to support your immune system? Go with your Guts!

A healthy immune system is vital to live life to its fullest.

A strong immune system helps you defeat certain diseases and enjoy a healthy weight with good physical activity. It also decreases your chances of having heart disease. On the other hand, a weakened immune system will not be a source of developing healthy habits because it will bring uncomfortable lifestyle changes. Ultimately, it is necessary to have a healthy lymphatic system with good immune function to enjoy good health benefits.

In this guide, you will learn what you need to make your immune system strong and how the immune system works. We will also discuss how badly the immune system fight infection when you have poor immune system cells. Read on!

Connection between Your Gut & Immune System

If you want to support your immune system, go with your gut!

You have to go through immune system changes to fight against autoimmune diseases. Your gut microbiome calls all the shots regarding most things within your body, and your immune response is no exception. Your white blood cells are your immune system cells. The mucous membranes are also primarily part of your body's immune system. Your lymphatic system supports these membranes and white blood cells and transports immune cells through your body, giving immune cells a place to stay. Your lymph nodes hold lymphocytes and other immune cells that attack germs that enter your body.

Fact

• 70% of our immune system resides within our gut.
• Strong communication between your gut and immune system is vital!

How to Make Your Immune System Healthy?

Your gut comprises a complex network of bacteria and other microorganisms in your digestive tract. They help break down the food you provide as nourishment and send signals to your immune system when it’s time to get in defense mode. The population and diversity of your microbiome are pretty impressive, and although you want to make sure your “good” gut bacteria are flourishing, it’s all about keeping a healthy balance. Having a diverse and thriving microbiome for different organs is a necessity.

So, how do we ensure we provide these little guys with the proper nourishment to produce a healthy environment?

With the food we place on our plates, of course!

Specific Foods that Maximize Your Gut Health

A fiber-rich diet and diverse plant foods are optimal for gut and overall health!

Increasing your consumption of low-glycemic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, vitamin D, and naturally fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, olive oil, or kimchi can help grow those good gut bacteria we all need. Soups and broths are also essential staples in the diet of those looking to increase their gut health. They are comforting during these chilly fall months and offer our gut and immune system many health benefits!

1. Bone Broth

When you were younger and not feeling your best, do you remember your mom or grandmother slowly simmering bones and veggies in a stock pot on your stove? Why did you instantly feel better when you took your first few sips? Is this because of the love and comfort it was made with or the science behind the abundance of nutrients that resided within it? Maybe it’s a little bit of both!

Health benefits of Bone Broth

Bone broth is a fantastic staple that should be incorporated into your diet to help boost your immune system, whether you are sick or not! This delicious, slowly stewed soup is jam-packed full of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that help to rebuild any damage you may have done to your intestinal tract, allowing your body to naturally help tackle any nutrient deficiencies and strengthen your immune system.

2. Mushrooms

Mushrooms are another food that should be incorporated into your diet for maximum immune health support. Historically called the “food of gods,” these medicinal plants have been used for centuries to boost the health of humans.

Health benefits of Mushrooms

Mushrooms help support a healthy immune response and are potent antioxidants encouraging health and vitality within our immune system. There are specific types of mushrooms that are more beneficial than others in our gut, so it’s essential to consume the right kinds when using them for health purposes.

3. Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that are found in naturally fermented foods or supplements. They have been shown to promote the production of natural antibodies in the body, helping to boost your immune system and maintain a healthy balance of bacteria.

Health benefits of Probiotics

Adding fermented foods to your diet, such as kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut, along with a high-quality probiotic supplement, can help to support these reactions that come with the changing weather.

4. Turmeric

This herb has been used for its antioxidant properties for ages. It usually takes around 4-8 weeks to show improvements when taken daily. This is simply because of its miraculous properties.

Health benefits of Turmeric

Research shows that it may help to support a healthy inflammatory response, resulting in better digestion and immune-boosting effects. It’s ideal for pairing turmeric with ginger and black pepper, as this trio helps with absorption in the bloodstream and increases restorative benefits.

How to Have a Good Immune Response

Our immune system fight infection and infectious diseases, the common cold, and heart disease. The innate immune system is your body's first attempt to defend against infection entering your body. When your body's immune response is poor, it will get you trapped by various diseases. Your health care provider will prescribe medicine and help you have an adaptive immune system. An adaptive immune system can learn and remember certain infections, providing long-lasting protection against infections.

For example

• If you have common cold flu, he/she will offer you a flu vaccine. This vaccine will help you develop strong immunity against the disease and support your weakened immune system.

Everybody wants their immune system work best as our health is directly linked to our body's immunity. You should maintain a healthy weight to initiate immune system cells to protect you from infectious diseases. You can talk to your health professional and have a diet plan for plant and rich foods. This will ultimately support your white blood cells, give you the power to face heart diseases and allergic reactions, and improve your overall health.

Foods That Weak Immune System

Avoiding certain foods is equally essential as incorporating specific foods when boosting your immune system. There is much research to support that refined and processed foods can increase inflammation and suppress your immune system for hours after ingesting! Some of the foods to try to eliminate include:

Foods to avoid

Artificial Sweeteners

• Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose

Baked Goods

• Cakes, cookies, muffins, pastries, pies, and pizza

Beverages

• Alcohol and sugary drinks like soda

Junk Foods

• Candy bars, Cereals, fast foods, popcorn, potato chips, pretzels

Refined Oils

• Canola, safflower, sunflower, soybean, vegetable oils

Foods That Strong Immune System

Our immune system relies heavily on nutrient-dense, whole foods to function correctly. Eat a wide variety of colorful foods to ensure adequate entire foods! Some of these foods that make your immune system strong are given below:

Foods to consume

Beverages

• Bone broth, coconut milk, nut milk, tea, water

Fish

• Herring, salmon, tuna, and milk high omega-3 fatty fish

Fruit

• Bananas, blueberries, coconut, grapes, kiwi, lemon, lime, oranges, papaya, passionfruit, strawberries, raspberries

Vegetables

• Arugula, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, ginger, kale, mushrooms, Swiss chard, zucchini, etc.

Fermented Vegetables

• Kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh

Cultured Dairy Products

• Kefir and yogurt (always organic, whole fat)

Meats and Eggs

• Lean cuts of beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, and pasture-raised eggs

Gluten-Free Grains

• Amaranth, buckwheat, gluten-free rolled oats, rice, sorghum, teff

Nuts

• All raw nuts and nut-based products such as nut milk beetroot

Roots and Tubers

• Carrots, potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, yams

Sprouted Seeds

• Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.

Healthy Fats

• Avocado, avocado oil, coconut, coconut oil, olives, olive oil

Final Words

Promoting a healthy diet for yourself can get you a healthy immune system. A diet full of traditional processed and refined foods suppresses the immune system and does not provide the body with the essential nutrients it needs to protect and heal itself. If you want to optimize your immune health to increase your chances of staying healthy and happy, nurture your body with the most nutritious foods or connect health care professionals!

Key Takeaways

• From the above-shared foods, all plant foods are rich foods that allow you to do physical activity with strong immune cells. Olive oil is one of the ideal options to support your weakened immune system.
• Your immune system is a complex network of cells, different organs, and proteins. It defends your body against autoimmune diseases.
• An innate immune system is about physical and chemical barriers that work against infections, like mucous membranes, skin secretions, and body hairs.
• An adaptive immune system destroys invading germs and their toxicity. It is also known as the acquired immune system.
• If your immune function is low, connect to a health care provider and use necessary supplements like vitamin C, D, and mushrooms.

You deserve to have a good health!

Ready to make your immune system healthy?

Just follow the steps above and transform your weak immune system into a strong one.

Good luck!

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