For about a year now, there has been no topic that has occupied people as much as the coronavirus. Everywhere, people have been thinking about how best to protect themselves from infection. An essential component is undoubtedly a strong immune system. When it is healthy and efficient, the risk of infection with viruses and illnesses is demonstrably reduced. In this blog article, we tell you about an important factor that is crucial for the immune system's defense function – gut health, more precisely your gut microbiome.
Did you know that over 70% of all immune cells are located in your gut? This means, conversely, that the gut plays a major role in your overall well-being and immune defense. Covid-19 is a disease that primarily attacks the respiratory tract and causes symptoms such as fever, cough, and breathing difficulties. But Covid is not, as initially thought, exclusively a lung disease, as many patients also suffer from diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. This means that the gut is indeed affected by coronavirus.
Studies increasingly show how strongly the gut is connected to a strong immune response – that is, the body's reaction to pathogens. There are two important factors here: first, the gut mucosa, where a large portion of immune cells are located that produce B cells and antibodies; second, the gut flora, which ideally is colonized by a large variety of bacterial strains responsible for breaking down food components. They prevent pathogens from spreading in the gut and body and thus support the normal function of the immune system. A healthy gut flora also reduces the risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity. These are precisely the factors that have been proven to negatively influence the course of a Covid-19 illness. A recent study published in the BMJ Journal Gut explains that the coronavirus risk group often suffers from a weakened gut flora and suggests that people can influence the course of the virus both negatively and positively through diet and lifestyle. Your diet is therefore directly linked to gut health and thus to the immune system's defense capability. It is advisable to support the body with fiber-rich foods, as these are exactly what the “good” bacteria in the gut utilize.
Another study supports this assumption – an analysis of blood samples from the patients studied showed that an imbalanced gut microbiome was associated with increased concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and markers of tissue damage. This result suggests that the microbiome may influence the immune response, i.e., the body's defense against infection with SARS-CoV-2, and affect the severity of the disease course. However, these assumptions have not yet been fully scientifically proven.
Also, microbiologist Dr. Heenam Stanley Kim from Korea University in Seoul addressed this topic in a review published in the journal “mBIO.” The scientist explains that a disturbed microbiome – meaning a microbiome in which the balance between “good” and “bad” gut bacteria is disrupted – leads to a breakdown of the gut barrier. If the gut barrier is not intact, it is easier for toxins to enter the body. Studies also show that the diversity of bacteria in people infected with Covid-19 is significantly lower than in healthy individuals. Your gut flora, and thus the variety of bacteria in your gut, can be effectively supported by probiotics.
An example of this is our Dailybacs®. This is a high-dose probiotic consisting of 60 billion “good” gut bacteria, prebiotics, minerals, and plant substances, which contributes to microbial diversity in your gut, normal immune system function, and your overall well-being.
How is the virus connected to the gut?
It appears that in an infection with SARS-CoV-2, the gut is usually also affected, and infected individuals often suffer from diarrhea. This finding is supported by a study published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine. In this study, people infected with the coronavirus were divided into two groups. Both groups received medication, but one group additionally received a probiotic containing various bacterial strains. In this group, almost all patients experienced a reduction in gut symptoms, and the risk of lung complications was reduced eightfold – and this within just 72 hours.
However, the body of research on these studies is still very limited, so definitive conclusions cannot yet be drawn. We are very curious about what the future holds and what exciting insights science will reveal regarding the treatment of Covid-19 and the use of probiotics.
