I want to start a short series on your microbiome and autoimmune disorders.
These are the types of topics we go over in Best of You because the more you know about how your body works…
The better you’ll be able to heal yourself through the power of nutrition.
So let’s get started.
Your gut microbiome plays a hugely important but often overlooked role in your overall well-being.
The trillions of microorganisms living in your digestive tract have significant effects that go far beyond just digestion.
An imbalance in the microbiome…
Known as dysbiosis…
Has serious implications for health.
The gut microbiome performs several vital functions.
Chief among these is the regulation of immune function and inflammation throughout the body.
When our microbial allies thrive…
They help train our immune system to distinguish real threats from harmless substances.
But dysbiosis throws off this delicate communication…
Which can lead to improper immune responses that damage healthy tissues.
Another crucial role of your microbiome is to protect gut barrier integrity.
The protective intestinal lining prevents toxins and pathogens from entering the bloodstream if intact.
However, the microbiome maintains barrier strength through production of compounds like short-chain fatty acids.
Low levels of these have been noted in inflammatory bowel conditions.
If the barrier becomes porous…
Substances that should remain in the gut may trigger immune reactions anywhere in the body.
Some gut microbes also share structural similarities with human proteins…
A mechanism known as molecular mimicry.
This can cause the immune system to mistake beneficial microbes for invading forces…
But also to attack self-tissues the microbes resemble.
This cross-reactivity provides one potential reason for how dysbiosis may contribute to autoimmune disorders.
Given these important immune modulating and defensive roles…
It’s no surprise that an imbalanced microbiome has been implicated in numerous health issues beyond the gut…
Such as diabetes…
Obesity…
Psychological disorders…
And cardiovascular risk.
Supporting a diversity of healthy microbes through diet and lifestyle is a wise approach to keep your immunity robust and prevent disease.
So now that you know the important role your gut microbiome plays in your overall health…
Stay tuned for specific factors that can affect your gut microbiome.
We’ll talk about those next time.
