How Does Your Child's Gut and Immune System Work Together?
How Does Your Child's Gut and Immune System Work Together?
Did you know your child’s gut does more than just digest food? It’s also a big part of how their body stays healthy and fights off germs. The digestive and immune systems are closely linked together, so let’s explore how keeping your child’s gut healthy can help their immune system stay strong.
The Gut: Not JUST for Digestion
We often think of the digestive system as simply breaking down food, but it does much more than that. Around 70 to 80% of your child’s immune cells are in their gut. This is because the gut deals with so many potentially harmful germs that come in through food, drinks, and the environment. So, it’s packed with immune cells ready to protect their body.
The Gut Microbiome: Your Child’s Little Helpers
Inside your child’s gut lives a variety of bacteria and other tiny organisms called the microbiome. While some bacteria can cause illness, many are helpful and support your child’s health. The way these “good” bacteria protect their gut is by preventing harmful germs from getting into their body and causing infections.
3 ways a healthy gut microbiome helps your child’s immune system:
Producing natural defenses that kill “bad” bacteria
Communicating with immune cells to make sure they respond properly to threats
Keeping inflammation in check, which is important for staying healthy
How the Gut and Immune System Work Together
The gut’s lining is filled with immune cells constantly on the lookout for harmful invaders. Consider these immune cells your body’s tiny army. When something harmful is detected, the immune system kicks into action, protecting your child from infections.
The “good” bacteria in the gut also help train your child’s immune system to know what’s harmful and what isn’t. This helps prevent problems like allergies or autoimmune issues, where the body overreacts to harmless things.
What Happens When Your Digestive System and Immune System Don’t Work Together?
We see a disconnect between these two systems in kids who are in the midst of what we call The Perfect Storm. One of the three big triggers of The Perfect Storm is early use of antibiotics and medication. Antibiotics, while necessary in some scenarios, is wreaking havoc on your child’s gut and actually destroys a lot of the “good” bacteria. When this happens, your immune system is weakened and it allows for harmful bacteria to creep its way into your body. This then starts the dreaded cycle of illness and dis-ease.
How Chiropractic Care Helps Your Child's Gut and Immune Health
Neurologically focused chiropractic care can play a big role in keeping your child’s gut and immune system healthy. The nervous system, which controls everything in the body, including digestion and immunity, needs to work well to maintain balance.
When the nervous system is out of balance, often due to misalignments in the spine (called subluxations), it can affect how the gut and immune system function. Here’s how chiropractic care helps:
Restores nervous system function: Through the use of gentle and specific adjustments, Dr. Stef and Dr. Camille can help the communication between the brain and the body improve, which supports gut and immune health.
Reduces stress on the body: Stress can negatively affect both the gut and immune system. Chiropractic care helps reduce stress, leading to improved digestion and overall immune strength.
Promotes healing: When your child’s nervous system is balanced, it helps their nervous system do what it needs to do and lets the body heal naturally, allowing their gut to function better and their immune system to get stronger.
Simple Tips for a Healthy Gut and Immune System
There are a few easy ways to support your child’s gut and immune health every day:
Healthy Fuel: Offer a variety of fruits and veggies. These foods help feed the “good” bacteria in your child’s gut.
Include probiotics and prebiotics: Foods like yogurt, kefir, and bananas help boost the healthy bacteria.
Limit unnecessary antibiotics: While important when needed, antibiotics can kill good gut bacteria, so they should be used only when absolutely necessary.
Help them manage stress: Reducing stress (even for kids!) can support both gut health and the immune system.
Keep them hydrated: Drinking water helps with digestion and supports the body’s natural defenses. Our favorite way to stay hydrated is by adding our favorite LMNT flavor to our water and making sure our electrolytes are balanced.
Next Steps
If you or your child are struggling with digestive issues or struggling to stay healthy, book a new patient exam with Dr. Stef or Dr. Camille!
At Early Beginnings Chiropractic, our new patient exam includes an in-depth consultation where we dive deep into your child's history. Then we perform a few safe, non-invasive scans to provide crucial insights into your child’s nervous system. Following the scans, we go through a thorough neurological and physical exam. All the components of a new patient exam allow us to get to the root of your child’s digestive challenges and help develop a customizable plan to get your child healthy and thriving!
Key Takeaways
A healthy gut is key to a strong immune system, especially in children. Neurologically focused chiropractic care can help restore balance in your child’s body, ensuring their gut and immune system work together to keep them healthy. By supporting their gut health with good nutrition and chiropractic care, you’re giving them the tools to stay strong and well!