With immune system strengthening more important than ever, the time has come to give the digestive tract its due as the headquarters of immunity in the human body. The intestine in particular plays a key role in protecting the body and contains several important mechanisms for keeping enemies out of the blood and the tissues.
One of these is the gut associated lymph tissue or “galt”, which lines the intestine and acts like an antibody factory that eliminates and filters invaders and food toxins. Another important element of the intestinal immune system are the trillions of bacteria of the microbiome that call it home. As it turns out, in addition to making vitamins, helping us digest our food and processing hormones, these digestive denizens also help regulate the immune response.
That’s why one of the most important things we can do to resist infections is to stay away from bacteria killing chlorinated water and drink distilled, ozonated or otherwise purified h2o. Glyphosate and other produce pesticides can also compromise the health of the microbiome and ultimately knock out immunity.
Some prescription drugs, including mood enhancers, can impair the health of the immune system supporting gut bacteria, which are also a source of the body’s natural antidepressant serotonin. Even if you’re not actually taking prescription drugs, because many of these are excreted in urine and can be found in municipal water supplies, it’s likely there’s trace amounts of probiotic destroying immune suppressing pharmaceuticals in what we’re drinking.
