Page 46 - The Autoimmune Protocol

The Autoimmune Protocol

book, there is a strong symbiotic relationship between our gut and immune health.
Seventy percent of the cells that comprise our immune systems live in our gut walls!

The Microbiome

Our microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria living in our gut, and specifically the
cecum of the large intestine. It is estimated that there is around five hundred species of
bacteria living in our gut, weighing up to three pounds. This bacteria consists of a delicate
balance of good and bad bacteria. When this balance is thrown off and there is too much
bad bacteria left to flourish, our health can become compromised.

How is this balance affected? The bacteria in our gut live off of what we feed them. Some
of the foods we eat contribute to the good bacteria, and some help the bad bacteria thrive.
Think of your gut as a garden. You need to give it water, fertilizer, it and sow good seeds
to keep the weeds and other unwanted plants out. All is not lost if you are one of those
people who do not eat healthy, whole foods. It is never too late to start healthy eating
habits. Our microbiome changes daily with every piece of food we eat!

The bacteria in our gut interact with our immune system and help our bodies distinguish
between good and bad pathogens. In a healthy gut-immune relationship, the immune
system can detect and destroy pathogens that may potentially harm us and leave the ones
that help our microbiome alone. The more diverse our microbiome is, the better our
health. When we do not have a diverse microbiome, we are more prone to develop issues
like inflammatory bowel diseases.

Our Microbiome as we Grow
Our microbiome begins developing the moment we are born. Newborns have a very new
and very sterile microbiome. Breastfeeding helps to nourish this microbiome and
promote the proliferation of good bacteria in the gut. Breastmilk is the biologically perfect
first food for giving an infant the perfect head start in life.

When a baby begins solid food, a change starts to take place in the microbiome. More
bacteria are introduced, good and bad, through these new foods. It is just as important to
introduce a variety of healthy, unprocessed foods to a toddler during this time of
microbiome evolution. By the time a child is three years old, they have a microbiome
similar to most adults.

Choosing to breastfeed, as well as providing a toddler with healthy solids, can do so much
more than previously thought. These early choices can help set a child up for a lifetime of
health, a properly functioning immune-system, and less of a chance of developing an
autoimmune disease.

In addition, keeping up with these healthy habits throughout a child’s life can promote
healthy habits that stay with a person for the rest of their lives.

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