Function of the immune system

The responsibility of the immune system is to protect us and keep the balance between invaders and defenses through the correct immune response, but also through physical, mechanical, chemical and microbiological barriers such as urinary tract, skin and gastrointestinal tract.

Influence of intestinal flora on the immune system

It is known today that 70-90 percent of our immune cells are found in the gut and that they have a crucial interaction with one of the body's largest organs - our intestinal flora.

A rich variety of bacterial strains in the intestinal flora is a fundamental prerequisite for a strong defense and for our health throughout life. The diversity and composition of the intestinal flora is established and developed during our first 1,000 days of life and is influenced by both lifestyle and dietary habits.

Unilateral, low-fiber diet, stress and a sedentary lifestyle depletes the variety of intestinal flora; of various strains of bacteria and adversely affect our immune system.

The intestinal flora helps our immune system by:

• Regulation of immune system function and immune response.
• Direct action against harmful bacteria
• Maintenance of barrier function

A reduced species richness in the intestinal flora can weaken the important intestinal barrier and increase the penetration of harmful substances, viruses and bacteria into the body.

The role of probiotics for the intestinal flora

Probiotic bacteria have a well-known and documented impact on our immune system through a variety of properties:

• Strengthens and supports intestinal barrier function and bacterial diversity.
• Competes with harmful bacteria for nutrition and establishment on the intestinal mucosa.
• Produces organic acids and antimicrobial substances that create an unfavorable environment for the growth of harmful bacteria in the intestine.
• Stimulates mucus formation which makes it difficult for harmful bacteria to gain attachment.

The interaction of probiotics with both intestinal flora and intestinal immune cells

• Regulates interleukins - proteins that regulate immunological reactions.
• Reduces pro-inflammatory and increases anti-inflammatory cytokines — substances that transmit signals between cells in the immune system.

Diversity through lifestyle provides diversity in the intestinal flora

Just as a healthy and varied diet can have a beneficial impact on the diversity of the gut flora, a probiotic with several different strains can also support the species richness of the gut flora. Each bacterial strain has specific characteristics and functions and establishes itself in different areas of the intestine depending on oxygen content and pH value, maintaining the important balance.