As we have already discussed in previous posts, the gut environment is largely dependent on the health of bacteria and microorganisms with which we live in harmony. Interfering with the health of this environment can lead to the immune system working against us and difficulty digesting and absorbing nutrition from our food. This is called dysbiosis and is not curable by simply taking over-the-counter probiotics or eating yogurt.
In addition, an over reaction by the immune system over an extended period of time can result in dramatic loss of quality of life. It can result in unexplained symptoms, such as weight gain, depression, brain fog, arthritis/pain, digestive disorders, sleep disorders, anxiety, attention deficit, or other symptoms. This leads to unnecessary surgeries, prolonged expensive treatment of symptoms with medication, and a general reduction in quality of life.
When the immune system works against us, it can take many forms. The most commonly discussed is autoimmunity, when the immune system recognizes a self protein as being foreign and therefore subject to attack. This is the mechanism for various forms of thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s and Graves), nervous system diseases, like multiple sclerosis and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), and certain types of diabetes.
Another model to understand how the immune system works against us is the mechanism of systemic inflammation. Systemic inflammation is a long-term process that involves how inflammation travels throughout our body and impacts our health. When you think of the phrase immune system, you should also think of the word inflammation — they are one and the same.
Inflammation is technically the healing mechanism. It is best appreciated when you have an acute injury. It is painful, local, and temporary. Think about a sprained ankle. Systemic inflammation is chronic, but it is diffuse (throughout the body). It is long lasting unless the cause is addressed and removed. The inflammation takes the form of different chemical messengers the immune system uses for communication with the rest of the body. These chemical messengers are called cytokines. Cytokines travel throughout the body and summon help from other immune cells in the area and tell other organs that there is a protective response going on so they can be alert to changing needs of the body.
Many of you have been made aware in recent decades of chemical messengers between nerve cells in the brain, called neurotransmitters; they have names like serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, etc. Neurotransmitters have been in the public eye when discussing common disorders such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, parkinsons, etc. Cytokines are similar in that they are a chemical messenger system that uses our blood circulation system to get around. Excessive cytokine activity can make the entire body feel either appropriately or inappropriately in danger. When this level of alarm is chronic, the cytokines can result in damage to blood vessels (high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease), hormone systems (affecting thyroid health, blood sugar responses, sex hormone activity), damage to brain cells, or deposition in joints resulting in arthritis and degenerative joint disease, just to name a few problems.
The cost of excessive cytokine production by the immune system when released chronically (over a long period of time) can contribute to many chronic diseases, preventable surgeries, disability, reduced quality of life, lost time with family and loved ones, inability to travel, etc. Cytokine production and its resultant travel through the circulation system is the mechanism and the connection between your gut and every tissue in your body.
Thanks for reading!
Are you beginning to see the impact our gut health has on our overall personal health and well-being? Hopefully this makes you think and ask how your gut may contribute to symptoms, disorders, and diseases that seemingly have nothing to do with your gut. It gives a whole new depth to the saying, “You are what you eat (digest and absorb).”
