May 2020 Nutrition Maxim: Immune System- probiotics & prebiotics

The best and most efficient pharmacy is within your own system. ~Robert C. Peale

Feeling vulnerable in light of the COVID-19 pandemic? Staying healthy can help and the best way to do so is fully under your control – your diet.

A good diet can strengthen the body’s ability to fight infection. As Harvard Health recently wrote: “The immune system army marches on its stomach.” Fruits and vegetables head the list of recommended food choices.

Research has unveiled the connection between the digestive and immune systems. “The human gut plays a huge role in immune function,” said researcher Dr. Natalia Shulzhenko. “Our intestines contain more immune cells than the entire rest of our body.“

And probiotics, along with their source of food, prebiotics, also can help. The gut is like a wide-open campground; any bacteria in the vicinity can pitch a tent and settle in. The more beneficial bacteria we have filling up the campground, the better.

Probiotic and prebiotic supplements can add those beneficial bacteria. Today they are being used around the globe to maintain digestive health, and by association, keep immune systems strong in the face of this new virus.