Benefits: Immunity and Leaky Bowel

Immunity

The body’s immune system is a vast collection of white blood cells, antibody proteins and other factors that keep us healthy. It fights and overcomes just about every nasty virus and bacteria we are constantly exposed to. Most people know this already. What few people know is that about 70% of our immune system is in the colon. It is here that there is a constant battle being waged between the good bacteria that promote and enhance our immune system and the nasty bacteria that wish to do us ill. But when the beneficial bacteria grow prodigiously in the colon, they strengthen the immune system. Prebiotic plant fibers, in particular inulin and oligofructose, are the fuel that drives the system. A diet rich in a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide the required amounts of prebiotic fibers and ensure that your colon wins the war on bad bugs.

Leaky Bowel

For many years physicians were aware of only a few conditions where the inside of the bowel was “leaky”. Many patients were convinced that they had a leaky bowel whereby toxins and other unhealthy substances moved through the bowel wall and caused health problems. Now we know that these people were right. Research has shown that a leaky or permeable bowel is very common. When this occurs, the cells that line the colon separate. The hormones that hold them tightly together weaken and the result is that toxins can move through the bowel wall. The major cause of this condition is an abundance of bad bacteria growing in the colon against the bowel wall. This is what leads to a leaky gut. The way to correct this condition is to increase the prebiotic food fibers that the good gut bacteria need to grow. In this way they then push out the bad bacteria and the colon has a chance to heal. Prebiotic vegetable and fruit fibers are the very best types of fiber to bring about this beneficial change.

References

Prebiotic effects: metabolic and health benefits
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