Tag: wholefoods

For good health, focus on gut health!

Did you know that at least 70% of our immune system is in our gut? We explore the critical link between our health and our gut microbiome.  

Crucially, vitamin C has the ability to protect our white blood cells from invading pathogens and researchers believe that white blood cells draw in vitamin C to help protect from oxidants, increase oxidant regeneration and to ensure any pathogens are killed.

If you looked at our bodies under a microscope you would see we are in fact crawling with bugs. There are trillions of them covering every surface, both inside and out.  If we’re honest, that actually sounds a bit creepy…but the good news is that most of those bugs are doing us a world of good.  

We chatted to Eileen O’Herlihy, a research and development scientist at PrecisionBiotics, who has been working in the field of microbiome for the last 15 years.  

She explains that while we are covered from head to toe in bugs (or “microbiota” if you want to get technical) by far the biggest population of them – about 90-95% – is in our gut.  

The connection between our gut and our health 

‘What we are discovering is that each of these bugs are performing a different function,’ explains Eileen. ‘They help us to digest food and absorb nutrients as well as influence our blood sugar levels and metabolism.’ 

They can also help us fight disease.  ‘At least 70% of our immune system resides in our gut – and our microbiota can train and trigger our immune response,’ says Eileen. It’s perhaps not surprising then that scientists are currently researching the potential influence of our gut microbiota on our response to Covid-19 infections.*   In fact, it’s thought some 90% of disease can be linked back in some way to our gut and the health of our microbiome**. 

It’s a relief to know that most of our microbiota are doing good things for us. ‘We do all have some not so good bugs in our guts too but for most people these are kept in check by the good ones,’ says Eileen.  

There are, however, occasions where the balance of good and bad bacteria is thrown off – in particular as a result of an unhealthy diet or significant antibiotic use – which can negatively impact our health.  Some tell-tale signs that your gut microbes might be off balance include: 

• Digestive issues such as changes to bowel habits, bloating or abdominal pain, 
• Being more prone to sickness and taking longer to recover, 
• Feeling sluggish or lethargic,  
• Disturbed sleep, and 
• Low mood

How to support the bugs in your gut  

So what can we do to look after our microbiota? While many aspects of our diet and lifestyle are thought to have an impact – including exercise, stress and antibiotics – one of the most effective ways to support your microbiota is to eat lots of fresh, healthy, plant-based foods.  ‘The fibre will feed the good bugs and encourage them to thrive,’ says Eileen. ‘By contrast, eating lots of highly processed, sugary and fatty foods will give the not so good bugs a boost. 

Put simply – it’s thought that the more diverse the population of bugs in our gut, the healthier we are likely to be. So those microbes are worth taking care of.  

Try out the Alflorex Probiotics in the October Lifebox, get your hands on one here 

Discover more about the Alflorex range via their website and get an exclusive 10% off with code LIFEBOX10. Order here

Support your immune system with Keeley Berry,  Nutritional Expert and Product Developer at BetterYou Ltd.

As Spring beckons, there is hope that our social calendar may soon be opening up, so it’s crucial to ensure our immune system is strong as we head out of lockdown to protect our health and wellbeing.

Our immune system is the body’s natural defence against harmful viruses and bacteria, it is made up of a network of cells, tissues, organs, and molecules which work together to protect the body from any harmful germs or substances by triggering an immune response. When your immune system is working well, it can prevent germs from entering your body and, if harmful cells do get in, it can limit the harm that they do.

The body needs many vitamins and minerals to function properly.

Vitamin C is one of these nutrients and it is essential to the normal function of our immune system.

Stimulating the production and activation of immune cells, Vitamin C supports cellular functions of the innate and adaptive immune systems and it contributes to three main mechanisms of immune protection, including:

1. Helping to strengthen skin and tissues to prevent viral invasion.
2. Increasing white blood cell and antibody production to target viruses.
3. Helping to clear spent white blood cells to maintain tissue health.

Crucially, vitamin C has the ability to protect our white blood cells from invading pathogens and researchers believe that white blood cells draw in vitamin C to help protect from oxidants, increase oxidant regeneration and to ensure any pathogens are killed.

Who is most at-risk of Vitamin C deficiency?

The most common risk factors for vitamin C deficiency include poor diet, malabsorption disorders (such as Crohn’s, Colitis and Coeliac disease), food allergies and anorexia. The elderly and those taking certain medications such as aspirin, oral contraceptives, and some anti-inflammatories, can also be at higher risk of deficiency and frequent supplementation is advised.

Stress, smoking and alcoholism as well as a fever and viral infections can also negatively impact our levels of vitamin C, so if these lifestyle factors affect you, larger daily intakes be required.

How can I ensure I’m getting enough vitamin C?

Unlike animals, humans cannot naturally produce vitamin C and as it is a water-soluble vitamin, our body does not store it, so supplementation is advised to maintain levels as well as regularly eating foods, such as:

• Mango
• Watermelon
• Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries
• Green and red peppers
• Sweet and white potatoes

It’s important to have a food-first approach, but if you struggle to get enough vitamin C a supplement can be a simple and convenient way to increase and maintain levels.

The phrase ‘little and often’ can be helpfully applied to vitamin C supplementation, with absorption believed to drastically reduce as our intake increases. Consuming high levels of vitamin C (500mg and above) results in a rapid decline in absorption efficiency, meaning that supplementing high doses is not beneficial, as it will simply pass through the body.

Healthy individuals are recommended to supplement 100mg of vitamin C per day, an amount that is associated with a decreased risk of mortality from heart disease and stroke.

Some of us, particularly children and the elderly, can find tablets and capsules difficult to swallow, so traditional supplementation methods do not always suit everyone.

Alternative routes, such as vitamin oral spray products, are readily available online as well as on the high-street and with studies showing that they are just as effective at elevating our vitamin levels as traditional capsules, this could be the pill-free supplementation solution we have all been looking for.

Try out the Better You Vitamin C Spray in our April Lifebox, get your hands on one here 

Discover more about the BetterYou range by visiting their website