The link between gut health and immunity

“Did you know 70% of your immune system is in your Gut?  The link between gut health and Immunity”

It’s well known that kids tend to get sick when they are young, in fact in the first few years of life healthy children can have up to 12 viral illness a year. It can often feel like it is one illness after another!

There are many tried and tested ways to help prevent the spread of illness to our little ones – good hygiene, covering our nose and mouth when we cough –but did you know that supporting your baby/toddlers gut microbiome is also helping to boost their immune system and prevent illness.

“A recent survey of Aussie parents showed 84% of parents don’t consider digestive health as their top priority when trying to support their toddlers’ immune system”

What is the Gut Microbiome?

The Microbiome/ microbiota is the term used for the hundreds of trillions of tiny living organisms that live in and on our bodies. Everybody’s microbiota is unique to them. The majority of these microbes are found in our gut, and can be a mixture of both good and possibly harmful microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. From the moment we are born our microbiome/microbiota is developing and changing, being influenced by factors like where and how we are born, the environment we live in, antibiotics use, pets and diet. This development continues until we are 3 or 4 years old when it becomes a little more stable. This makes the first few years of life a particularly important time where we can help to influence and support a child’s developing microbiota, keeping their little tummies happy by aiding their digestive system and supporting their immune system at the same time.

How does a healthy gut microbiome help support the Immune System?

Your Gut is made up of your stomach, small intestine and colon or large intestine, and is responsible for breaking down our food, absorbing the nutrients we need and getting rid of any waste. All of this helps to make sure that our bodies stay healthy and work efficiently. Your gut is also where 70% of your immune cells are located so it’s very important to keep it healthy. The immune system and our microbiome work together to help keep our bodies healthy. In a healthy digestive system, the balance of ‘good’ bacteria should out way the ‘bad’ bacteria, this is also the same for the other microbes that reside in our gut. The gut is where the immune system learns to tell the difference between harmful germs and friendly microbes. This process is essential in arming our immune system to react to harmful bacteria and microbes while looking after those resident good bacteria. For example, some good bacteria in the gut produce substances called short-chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) from the food we eat. These SCFA’s help calm our immune response, reduce inflammation and keep the gut barrier strong. A strong gut barrier helps to keep the harmful germs out of our bloodstream. A healthy and balanced microbiome ensures that your child’s immune system is ready to handle various challenges, from infections to every day scrapes and bruises.

How can we nourish a healthy microbiota to support little immune systems?

Helping your little one develop a healthy microbiota is easier than you might think! If you’re able to, breastfeeding is a wonderful way to support your baby’s gut health. Breast milk naturally contains components that help good bacteria thrive. Diet has a powerful influence on our microbiome. As you start to introduce solids, one way to promote the growth of good bacteria is to include a variety of prebiotic fibre-rich foods in your baby’s diet. Prebiotics are found in foods like bananas, oats, apples, leeks, asparagus, and legumes are great choices. Think of prebiotics as the food for our all those good bacteria in our guts, helping them to flourish. You could mash bananas into their morning porridge or blend stewed white peaches into a smooth puree for dessert! While it’s important to maintain a hygienic home to protect against harmful germs, it’s also beneficial to allow some exposure to everyday microbes. Playing outside in the dirt, interacting with pets, and other simple activities are all ways to gain exposure to everyday microbes. Balance cleanliness with opportunities for natural microbial exposure. Remember your toddler/babys immune system is still developing, helping to boost their immune system through the development of a healthy microbiota is not only about keeping their little tummies happy but also providing the foundations for their defence system to be as strong as it can be.

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