Our vulnerability to getting sick but equally our ability to defend ourselves from covid-19 is significantly impacted by our diet. Many people infected with the virus will suffer almost no symptoms whatsoever. This is because such people have a powerful, well-functioning immune system to defend themselves.
At Fitzwilliam Food Test Clinic we specialise in food intolerance testing and we have long recognised that we are not helpless victims at the mercy of any virus. That every person is gifted with an immune system. This blog explains how you can improve the functioning of your immune system.
Our Immune System
The first thing we need to understand is that approximately 80% of our immune system is located within our gut. The billions of bacteria (microbiome) that reside within the intestinal tract are central to the efficient functioning of our immunity. The microbiome and immune system communicate with each other. The microbiome is like the computer hardware. It orchestrates a healthy immune response. Consequently:
1. Every time we damage our gut bacteria, we damage our immune system
2. Every time we support your gut bacteria, we support your immune system
Weakened Immune system – Signs & Symptoms
Because of the intimate relationship between our immune system and our gut, an assessment of our gut health gives us a good overview of our immune system health. Poor gut health is very much associated with:
· Bloating
· Indigestion
· Acid reflux
· Irritable Bowel Syndrome
· Chronis overweight issues
· Diarrhoea / constipation
What Damages Our Gut Bacteria?
There are two primary factors:
1. Antibiotics are perhaps the biggest cause of microbiome damage and most especially broad-spectrum antibiotics. They indiscriminately kill both good and bad alike. Long-term use of antibiotics is equally problematic.
2. Food Intolerance is in our opinion the second biggest cause of microbiome damage. Food intolerance begins when the digestive system is no longer able to process foods as they pass down the digestive tract. These undigested foods sour, putrefy and ferment within the gut producing toxins, bloating and a fetid gas smell. The scavenger gut bacteria feed off this waste creating a toxic gut environment. In many cases, this is the feeding ground for many of the chronic infections and diseases of our time.
How to Improve (gut health) Immune System Function
1. The prescriber and the patient taking antibiotics must give more serious consideration to the potential damage being done by the antibiotic. In particular, the danger associated with broad-spectrum and the long-term use of antibiotics. In non-life-threatening situations, alternatives should be considered initially. For example, what is feeding the infection?
2. Could these undigested foods (food intolerance) be feeding the infection? Diet is central to establishing a healthy microbiome.
Foods we must avoid
The “food elimination diet” is commonly used to find the foods that people may have an intolerance to. This is a lengthy, time consuming process. Laboratory based food intolerance testing is now available to guide the elimination diet process. See www.fitzwilliamfoodtest.com for details.
Conclusion
We are living in a world where bacteria, fungi and viruses are ever present. We must accept that interacting with them is part of normal life. It could take many years to develop a safe vaccine. At some stage we are going to have to return to normal living and there is no escaping this reality. Our greatest defence in this environment is our immune system which we must take very good care of. The scientific publications are very clear. We can use diet to recalibrate our immune system and this in turn will give us better protection so that we can live without fear in this complex world.
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