immunity prebiotic probiotic

Supporting Immunity by Optimizing Gut Health

Posted on December 20, 2016

Staying healthy during cold and flu seasons is influenced greatly by good dietary choices and nutritional habits. Good nutrition supports general well-being, but specific nutrients may also play important roles in helping to support our immune function .¹

BUT, a good diet does not always equal optimal nutrition. Even if we eat well, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are getting all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that we need to optimize our health. We often think of our “diet” as the food that we put into our mouths, but we also need to consider the process of extracting nutrients from those foods – our digestive processes .²

At Genuine Health we also recognize the importance of the gut microbiome to not only digestive health but also the immune system. Did you know that 70-80% of our immune cells can be found in the gut? ³ Because of this, maintaining a healthy gut is key to a healthy immune system.

The gut microbiome is a vast and intricate community of microorganisms that reside primarily in the intestines, playing a critical role in digestion, immune function, and even mental health .^3,4 Each of the various strains of bacteria in our gut play different roles that help us to optimize our health, but overall, they:

Aid in metabolism and fermentation, providing important energy and nutrients for the body⁵
Act as a protective barrier against bad bacte⁶
Produce antimicrobial compounds that prevent colonization by pathogens⁶
Help with the production of chemicals that help regulate the immune system and manage inflammation⁷

So how can we improve nutrition and gut health to support immune function?

1. Eating a varied, colourful diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole foods - this ensures you are getting a broad spectrum of beneficial nutrients and compounds that contribute to overall health and support the immune system. Make sure to consume foods rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and other phytochemicals, which work synergistically to support immune function.⁸

1 scoop of Genuine Health’s greens+ original is packed with 22 nutrient dense plant based foods plus a blend of probiotics. Within our blend you will find: chlorophyll rich grasses, sea vegetables, including chlorella and spirulina, 3 fibre sources, our gut loving probiotic cultures, 5 botanicals, including Siberian Ginseng and licorice root extracts, and 8 superfoods like acerola berry and beetroot.

2. Reduce processed foods in your diet- poor diets can lead to dysbiosis in the gut and can impair the gut barrier, which is key to protection against pathogens.⁹ By minimizing these foods, the gut remains balanced and healthy which is important to maintaining immune function.^7,10

3. Get adequate protein throughout the day – protein provides the body with amino acids, the building blocks for important compounds such as cytokines and antibodies that help our immune system protect against invading pathogens.¹¹

Protein powders can help make it easier to fit in the protein we need to maximize this immune support. Meet your protein needs with Genuine Health’s fermented organic vegan proteins+, formulated for easy digestion and enhanced absorption. Our unique plant-based protein blend contains 7 fully fermented ingredients and includes all 9 essential amino acids making it a complete protein. You’ll love its smooth texture and great taste!

4. Use probiotic supplements - probiotics are live microorganisms that can provide health benefits and support a healthy gut microbiome by replenishing the beneficial bacteria, helping to restore balance and promote microbial diversity.¹² By supporting the microbiome, probiotics can in turn also support the immune system and have been shown in research to help with the prevention and management of various diseases .³

Support your gut microbiome and gastrointestinal health with Genuine Health’s advanced gut health probiotics. Containing 15 diverse strains, with a balance of bifidobacterium and lactobacillus to closely match the balance of bacteria naturally found in your gut. Enclosed in delayed-release capsules that pass through the stomach acid and travel into the gut for targeted delivery. Try our advanced gut health immune + vitamin D & Zinc, enhanced with vegan vitamin D and zinc to support immune health in addition to probiotics that support gastrointestinal health.

5. Eat more fermented foods and supplements - these foods are easily digested and can help to improve the bioavailability of essential nutrients.¹³ Research has also shown that fermented foods contain probiotics, which are key for gut health, and other compounds with potential antiviral properties .¹⁴

Overall, it's clear that a robust immune system is built from the gut up - by supporting our gut health through eating nutrient dense, whole foods, adequate protein, probiotics and fermented foods we can also support our immune health. Go one step further by choosing supplements that nourish the gut, like greens powders, fermented proteins and probiotics, and make sure to “level-up” this cold and flu season.

References:

Munteanu C, Schwartz B. The relationship between nutrition and the immune system. Front Nutr. 2022;9. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.1082500
Boland M. Human digestion--a processing perspective. J Sci Food Agric. 2016;96(7):2275-2283. doi:10.1002/jsfa.7601
Mazziotta C, Tognon M, Martini F, Torreggiani E, Rotondo JC. Probiotics Mechanism of Action on Immune Cells and Beneficial Effects on Human Health. Cells. 2023;12(1):184. doi:10.3390/cells12010184
Sasso JM, Ammar RM, Tenchov R, et al. Gut Microbiome–Brain Alliance: A Landscape View into Mental and Gastrointestinal Health and Disorders. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2023;14(10):1717-1763. doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00127
Jandhyala SM, Talukdar R, Subramanyam C, Vuyyuru H, Sasikala M, Reddy DN. Role of the normal gut microbiota. World J Gastroenterol WJG. 2015;21(29):8787. doi:10.3748/wjg.v21.i29.8787
Bull MJ, Plummer NT. Part 1: The Human Gut Microbiome in Health and Disease. Integr Med Clin J. 2014;13(6):17-22.
Maciel-Fiuza MF, Muller GC, Campos DMS, et al. Role of gut microbiota in infectious and inflammatory diseases. Front Microbiol. 2023;14:1098386. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2023.1098386
Stephen J, Manoharan D, Radhakrishnan M. Immune boosting functional components of natural foods and its health benefits. Food Prod Process Nutr. 2023;5(1):61. doi:10.1186/s43014-023-00178-5
Whelan K, Bancil AS, Lindsay JO, Chassaing B. Ultra-processed foods and food additives in gut health and disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024;21(6):406-427. doi:10.1038/s41575-024-00893-5
DeGruttola AK, Low D, Mizoguchi A, Mizoguchi E. Current understanding of dysbiosis in disease in human and animal models. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2016;22(5):1137-1150. doi:10.1097/MIB.0000000000000750
Li P, Yin YL, Li D, Kim SW, Wu G. Amino acids and immune function. Br J Nutr. 2007;98(2):237-252. doi:10.1017/S000711450769936X
Sharifi-Rad J, Rodrigues CF, Stojanović-Radić Z, et al. Probiotics: Versatile Bioactive Components in Promoting Human Health. Medicina (Mex). 2020;56(9):433. doi:10.3390/medicina56090433
Leeuwendaal NK, Stanton C, O’Toole PW, Beresford TP. Fermented Foods, Health and the Gut Microbiome. Nutrients. 2022;14(7):1527. doi:10.3390/nu14071527
Varsha KK, Narisetty V, Brar KK, et al. Bioactive metabolites in functional and fermented foods and their role as immunity booster and anti-viral innate mechanisms. J Food Sci Technol. 2023;60(9):2309-2318. doi:10.1007/s13197-022-05528-8