Page 11 - Autoimmune diseases

The Intestines

A large amount of your immune system can be

found in your gastrointestinal tract (Your stomach

and intestines). There is a very logical reason for

this. Food coming in has a lot of bacteria and other

microorganisms and your body needs to protect

you from them- hence a large army of immune

cells in the gastrointestinal tract.

To understand how the GI tract contributes to

autoimmune disease, you need to understand a little

better how your GI tract, specifically your small

intestine, works. After being broken down into very

small components by your stomach and the first

part of your small intestine, the food you have

eaten is absorbed into your body in the middle and

later part of your small intestine.

The proper functioning of this area of your

small intestine is crucial to your overall well being.

If you do not absorb the nutrients from your food

here properly, your body will become malnourished

and begin to malfunction and break down overtime.

If, however, you absorb aspects from your food that

are potentially damaging to the body (think