The Impact of Gut Microbiota on Health
Microbes produce a vast number of metabolic products and other compounds that can directly interact with our physiological pathways.
The immune system monitors the metabolic state of the gut microbiota and relays that information to other tissues in the body to adjust their physiological processes. The set of compounds produced by the gut microbiota depends on the composition of the gut flora.
Therefore, microbial imbalances in the gut (referred to as dysbiosis) can affect the production of the molecular signals that underlie the crosstalk between the gut microbiota and our physiological pathways.
Metabolic changes in the microbiota can even lead to the production of toxic products.
Dysbiosis can be caused by multiple environmental factors:
- Use of antibiotics
- Psychological and physical stress
However, diet stands out as one of the most impactful factors. Dysbiosis can lead to disruption of the epithelial barrier, increasing our susceptibility to infections.
Dysbiosis may also promote inadequate immune reactions to the gut microbiota, leading to chronic inflammation and tissue damage.
The consequences of dysbiosis can manifest throughout the body by influencing tissue-specific immunity and triggering dysfunctions in other organs.
These abnormal interactions may lead to allergies and may even compromise immunological self-tolerance, leading to autoimmune disorders.
Many people are affected by health challenges related to poor immunity and inflammation.
Diet can play a large role in worsening or improving these issues, because of interactions between the gut microbiota and immune system.
A healthy interaction between our immune system and the gut microbiota is crucial for the maintenance of our body’s homeostasis and health.
Imbalances in the gut microbiota may dysregulate immune responses and lead to the development of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune dysfunctions.
Therefore, it is important to take good care of our gut. And this starts with what we eat!