Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
And just like that, we are ending one season and transitioning into another, which means it is fall allergy time for so many people. We’re going to focus on what you can do to support your immune system and respiratory system.
On today’s episode, we are going to talk about all of that hand washing you’re doing and all of those disinfectants you are using to keep the Coronavirus at bay. This is not a bad thing! But the problem is that it can impact your good bacteria and actually kill it off.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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In Part 1 of Restoring Your Aging Immune System, we discussed how your immune system becomes weaker with age, making you more susceptible to diseases and infections. If you missed that episode, click here to listen now! In today’s episode, Part 2, we will discuss what you can do to make your immune system stronger, including what supplements I take to help maintain overall health and wellness.
Probiotic Bacteria for the Immune System
Research shows that a healthy person has hundreds of strains of bacteria in their intestines, including strains of yeasts and viruses. A number of things can cause a decline in the number of these strains. These bacteria are intimately involved with controlling the immune system. About 70% of your immune cells come in contact with your digestive tract and there is an interaction between them and gut bacteria. If you don’t have sufficient quantities of healthy bacteria (the Probiotic-types), the harmful bacteria will confuse and active the immune system. This is implicated in many harmful things.
One is leaky gut syndrome. Toxins released by the bad bacteria inflame the lining of the intestines and you develop a leakage, where toxins from the intestines and possibly bacteria and viruses themselves leak into the blood stream and wreak havoc. In fact, leaky gut syndrome has been implicated in conditions such as systemic lupus and even rheumatoid arthritis. So, when you have sufficient, healthy bacteria your immune system is kept under control and they very quickly heal the lining of your stomach and intestines.
Probiotic numbers decline for a number of reasons –
You can obtain healthy bacteria or Probiotics from fermented foods like yogurt, kefir or a supplement. The strains of bacteria decline as we age, also. The journal Nutrients reviewed four different studies of people in their 60s and 70s. Researchers looked at a particular strain of bacteria called Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis and found, within a few weeks, it strengthened the activity of natural killer cells. In Part 1, we discussed how natural killer cells lose their strength as we age. This particular stain of Probiotic bacteria improved the strength of the natural killer cells in these studies.
In the journal of Dairy Science, researchers studied Lactobacillus plantarum; this is another beneficial strain of Probiotic bacteria. It reduced the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections in adults. It also reduced how long participants had the infection and the intensity of the symptoms. It also reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced natural killer cell activity. This is what becomes dangerous in infections like Ebola or COVID-19. Pro-inflammatory cytokines over activate the immune system and make it attach your own organs.
In the journal of the American Geriatric Society a study was published by Mcmaster University of Ontario of 209 nursing home residence, aged 65 and over, from 14 different nursing homes. Taking the strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus reduced the number of infections with a virus by 45% over a six month period. This shows just how important probiotic bacteria can be to enhancing and directing your immune system.
Fiber and Prebiotics for the Immune System
There are also a lot of things in fiber that feed the good bacteria. This is why following a fiber-rich diet is so important. Fiber is a starch that you cannot digest or absorb. It is found in vegetables, whole grains, and seeds and nuts. When you put fiber and good bacteria together in a supplement, it is called a prebiotic with a probiotic. A prebiotic is simply the food for the probiotic bacteria. The probiotics work with the fiber to release a bunch of different things, including acids like lactic acid and propioic acid that benefit the digestive tract. Deeper down the intestines you actually release butyric acid; there is an interaction between good bacteria and good foods and the release of butyric acid. These three acids give energy to our immune cells and to our digestive tract so they can function properly. But the butyric acid also heals the lining of the intestines very rapidly and improves the absorption of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.
Additional Methods to Enhancing A Good Diet
Cocoa has been shown to be great for brain health, specifically the circulation to your brain, and for heart health. But the active ingredients in cocoa have to be activated by probiotic bacteria otherwise it does not work. Another example is Green tea which has a vast majority of benefit; These benefits cannot be demonstrated unless probiotic bacteria is activated. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and kale must also be activated in order to reap the benefits of their components.†
Older individuals make less Vitamin D when exposed to the sun. Normally, to make Vitamin D, the cholesterol from the sun is irradiated by ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun and it goes to a precursor of Vitamin D that is stored in your liver called 25-hydroxycalciferol. When released, it lasts about two weeks in your bloodstream which is the type of Vitamin D that your doctor is measuring. It is really a precursor to Vitamin D. Then, it must go to your kidneys to be activated. You require the mineral Magnesium for this. Then it becomes 125-hydroxycalciferol, which is the active version of Vitamin D.†
Your immune cells – your T and B-cells – have receptor sites for Vitamin D. Just like immune cells release Melatonin to be activated, there are receptor sites for Vitamin D to be activated. T-cells activate different parts of the immune system and coordinate the fight against an infection. Plus, at the end of an infection, they tone down the immune response. B-cells make antibodies. If you lack vitamin D, there is less chance that an immune cell will be properly activated.†
Melatonin Has More Benefits Than Just Sleep! Listen Now >>
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
There are a few key factors that help your lymphatic system function properly, including water and Nucleotides. But today we are going to speak about a specific strain of Probiotics that are also beneficial – Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis.
Immune system supplements with specially formulated, clinically studied non-GMO ingredients can support a strong and powerful immune system. Here are the top four immunity products you need this season, from our degreed healthcare professionals.
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Our digestive tract is best known for digesting our food. But our digestive tract has another major activity – immunity. Welcome to the Invite Health Podcast! Today we will be discussing which specific strains of bacteria have been proven to help protect you from winter time infections.
The Importance of A Healthy Immune System
About 70% of our immune system is housed in our digestive tract. And it is strongly influenced by the trillions of bacteria living in our intestines. Some bacterial strains can throw off our immune system, which can damage our health and can contribute to autoimmune diseases and inflammation throughout the body, including our lungs. Other strains support and, in a number of manners, influence our immune system for the better.
The good news is science has unraveled some of the highly beneficial strains of bacteria that you can take in a Probiotic supplement that can help boost proper immune system function.
What is a Probiotic Supplement?
Probiotics are strains of bacteria that help support good health. Probiotics can be found in fermented foods, such as kefier or yogurt. They are also available through supplementation. But not all probiotic supplements are created equal.
When choosing a Probiotic supplement, you must make sure there are two strains of bacteria included. A great deal of research indicates that you need more than one stain of bacteria to reap the benefits that Probiotics have to offer. And you need at least one billion of each strain. They should also be CFU – colony forming units. This means they are still alive and, when consumed, they help promote good digestive health.
Now, at Invite Health, we’ve used a couple of tricks to help deliver good bacteria to you. We use a vegetable coating technology that protects the bacteria from heat and from stomach acids and enzymes in your digestive tract. This allows the bacteria to thrive in your digestive tract.
Essential Probiotic Strains
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis is a great example of a strain of bacteria that can improve your immune system function over the winter. It’s been proven to help protect you from colds and flu, maybe even prevent them. Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bacillus coagulans, Bifidobacterium breve and Lactobacillus plantarum are also extremely important to help balance and improve the immune system.
One study from the University of Virginia School of Medicine studied 152 healthy volunteers and found that Bifidobacterium lactis protected the volunteers from getting a cold. Some study partipants took this strain of bacteria for 28 days and some others took a placebo. Then, the participants inhaled a cold virus and took either the probiotic or the placebo for five days after. Results showed that the probiotic bacteria strongly cut down on a number of people who caught a cold. For those who got sick while on the probiotic, their symptoms were much weaker and lasted for a much shorter duration.
This is just one of the reasons why a Probiotic is so vital for overall wellness, especially during the winter.
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
