Immuno-metabolism is an exciting, burgeoning field connecting your metabolism and your immune system. That is, your body’s blood sugar, diet, Gi hormones, your over all energy balance, metabolizing co-factors, all contribute to a healthy robust immune system that is regulated, efficient and balanced or is contributing to an unbridled, dysregulated, autoimmune, or immune deficient immune system.
Let me put this in practical terms, if you overly consume sugar in one meal, or chronically- you will alter the natural balance of how your cells make and store energy and fat. Additionally, you may be relatively immune suppressed or inflamed in the subsequent hours after your meal. To restate-depending on your food intake, you may be relatively immunodeficient for 4 hours after a meal and may be distorting how you utilize energy and burn energy. Specifically, you may become ill from the bacteria in your own body. After a meal, there is a temporary influx of materials from your gut to your bloodstream..LPS is one example. It is a protein coming from gut bacteria surface that can enter blood stream after eating and can dramatically elevate inflammatory response in your body. The amount of this toxic influx is related to your dietary choices, your intestinal lining, and your metabolic state!
If you are in oxidative stress state, you will have more bacterial translocation. What is oxidative stress? Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and anti-oxidants in your body. It is caused by high blood sugar, lack of key nutrients, pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides and not enough anti-oxidant foods like berries, fish, nuts, green tea, olives, leafy greens, veggies, and garlic.
To distill this to a simple concept: too much sugar causes an imbalance in the metabolic balance in the battery of your cells – the mitochondria. The metabolic function of the mitochondria is critical in nearly every cell in your body, particularly in the cells in your immune, cardiovascular, nervous , and digestive systems. Since the immune system is often the driver of the dysfunction in the other organs – it is particularly important to quell the immune system’s oxidative stress. Think of oxidative stress as a smoking engine that is quenched by anti-oxidants in our food. Phytonutrient dense food, rainbow of vegetables can “rescue’ this dysfunction to a degree.
Call us today and find out how we can change your diet to support your metabolism, rescue your immune system and preserve the health of all your bodily functions!
