Gut Health and Immune Function

Bryan Curtin, M.D., MHSc, is a board certified gastroenterologist and Director of The Center for Neurogastroenterology and GI Motility at The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease at Mercy. Dr. Curtin treats patients with digestive health conditions including chronic abdominal pain, GI bleeding, bowel disorders, gastric cancer and GI motility disorders. Recently, Dr. Curtin responded to questions from Better Homes & Gardens magazine for a feature on gut health and immune function.

It is a somewhat little known fact that the gut is the largest immune organ in the body. We put a lot of things into our body throughout the course of our lives and there are so many small contaminants that will make their way in. The immune system of the gut is the main reason we don't get violently ill every time we have an exposure. A poor diet can lead to poor bowel habits, constipation, bloating that can weaken both the function of the gut and the strength of its immune system.

Fiber has always been a stand by for good gut function and health to make sure that the bowels continue to stay in motion and you are going to the bathroom on a regular basis. Staying away from highly processed foods is advised. Complex sugars, such as Fructose, Fructans and Lactose can be difficult for the body to break down and can foster increased risk for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) which happens in part because of an immune system failure.

In general, the evidence for probiotics and prebiotics is mixed, but many patients have found this helpful. I would prefer taking something like yogurt for the average patient as opposed to taking a concentrated pill with 50 billion bacteria in it for probiotic usage. While we haven't gotten to the point where we can effectively 'micromanage' the microbiome, yogurt can be a helpful food to increase microbiome diversity.

Dr. Curtin completed advanced training at the nation's largest motility clinic in Augusta, Georgia. He has specialized expertise in neurogastroenterology and gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders, which impact how digestive muscles and nerves move food through the digestive tract. Symptoms such as heartburn, difficulty swallowing, nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating and distention and constipation can be key identifiers for motility issues.