How Probiotics Can Boost Your Immune System

A strong immune system: it’s something that we all want. Whether your immune system is fighting off a cold, keeping your digestive system running well, or protecting you from a serious disease, it is one of the most important systems in your body.

You may be wondering what you can do to boost your immune system and hopefully improve your health. You’ve likely heard the age-old advice to get enough sleep, stay hydrated, eat well, and avoid smoking. But are there other ways you can help? Yes, and one of these ways is as simple as incorporating the right friendly bacteria into your diet.

Today we’ll discuss how probiotics boost the immune system.

What is an immune system?

Before we talk about the role of probiotics and the immune system, let’s first understand what exactly your immune system is. Your immune system is a smart, strong network within your body that keeps you safe from dangers like bad bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

The reason we say your immune system is ‘smart,’ is because it is able to recognize your own healthy cells, and knows not to attack them. Scientists have found that the way your immune systems determines your own cells from attackers, is by detecting the protein within the cell.

One of the important components of your immune system is the lymph nodes. You may think of lymph nodes as being located in your neck and armpits, and while this is correct, did you also know that there are many lymph nodes in your intestines? In fact, your gut plays a substantial role in the health of your immune system. This is where the connection between probiotics and the immune system begins.

What factors affect your immune system?

One factor that generally improves immunity is age, to a certain extent. This is because as you mature from a child to an adult, your body has a chance to be exposed to more threats. The exposure to these threats helps build your immune system, because each time your body has to fight off a danger, it learns from that experience.

If your body encounters that same danger in the future, it will be better prepared to attack quickly and efficiently. Although we generally have stronger immune systems as adults vs children, our immunity naturally starts to decline again as we reach an older age. While we cannot, of course, control our age - we can control aspects of our health and can find ways to supplement the immunity we have.

What is the role of probiotics in your immune system?

What we eat seems to play an important role in immunity. This is especially relevant in what’s called micronutrient nutrition. Micronutrients like zinc, iron, and vitamins A, B6, C, D, and E are examples of nutritional factors that may help strengthen your immunity.

The good news is that in addition to eating a well-balanced and healthy diet, you can enhance your immunity with supplements, especially those that target your gut. The probiotics in your gut are there to ensure that the bad bacteria do not take over. The healthy bacteria stay in control by lessening the amount of food and space that the dangerous bacteria get access to.

By taking quality probiotics, you can boost this biological ‘army’ that protects you against a range of health dangers. While you may not think that your gut is a primary contributor to immune health, keep in mind that 70 - 80% of your immune cells live in your gut! If your gut is not healthy, your immune system cannot be either.

What probiotics boost the immune system?

If you’re looking to improve your immune system, there are different probiotics you should consider depending on your age.

• Infant: in the womb, and when a baby is born vaginally, it is exposed to some of the probiotics that will help it stay healthy. In addition, breastfeeding provides ongoing access to healthy bacteria. Babies who do not get these initial boosts of probiotics are in particular need of support for their immune systems, although all babies may benefit from the right type of supplements. For infants we recommend Lifestart. Lifestart’s most important component is a bacteria called B. infantis. Natren’s probiotic contains this bacteria because it can help break down human breast milk so a baby can most strongly benefit from its helpful properties. Lifestart is also beneficial for pregnant women who want to boost their own immune systems, as well as those of their growing babies. Learn more about LIfestart here.
• Children: children face countless germs which challenge their developing immune systems. Whether they’re catching the latest bug at daycare, putting everything they touch in their mouths, or forgetting to wash their hands, children need all the support they can get for a strong immune system. For children, consider our Healthy Start kit which includes everything you need for a 3-step probiotic regimen. These probiotics can help you maintain the right levels of bacteria in the digestive tract: a primary link to your immune system. You can order Healthy Start here.
• Adults: when you’re an adult, your immune system will likely be at its strongest. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t benefit from a boost like the enhancements you may get from probiotics. After all, adults are some of the biggest perpetrators of the negative lifestyle factors that can lead to a weaker immune system. Many of us do not sleep long enough, work too many hours, deal with chronic stress, and prioritize our family’s health over our own. We have many products for adults to choose from, but recommend our Health Trinity as a great starting point. You can learn more about Health Trinity here.

If you are hoping to improve your health, your immune system is the first place to look. The high quality, well-researched products available from Natren give you the building blocks to help improve your own health, naturally and safely with the highest quality probiotics available. To learn more about Natren, including our safety and quality standards, visit our website here,