We all have an idea of what the immune system is – our cells fighting against disease and infection like warriors at the frontlines protecting us from harm. But did you know, the real hero of your immune system is your gut! The link between your gut health and immune health might not be widely known, but they’re the ones who work together to really keep our bodies strong and healthy. In fact, 70% of your immune system exists in the gut. So if you’re looking for ways to support your immune system, learning how to improve gut health should actually be the route you take. And we’re here to help you figure out how.
Gut Microbiome: The Good Bacteria
When people talk about “the gut”, they basically mean your entire digestive tract – all the way from your mouth to your stomach and especially your intestines. The gut houses trillions of microorganisms – including bacteria, fungi, and other tiny organisms – collectively known as the gut microbiome. While people may automatically assume “bacteria = bad”, these bacteria aren’t germs. They’re what help you digest food, make vitamins, and keep harmful viruses in check.
A healthy gut means you have:
• Comfortable digestion (no bloating, gas, constipation)
• Regular bowel movements
• A diverse and balanced mix of “good bacteria” in your intestine
When this harmony is lost – because of stress, junk food, unnecessary antibiotics, or infections – your gut bacteria can go out of balance, leading to a whole lot of issues. So, the health of your gut microbiome directly correlates with the health of your immune system. Types and Functions of Immune System
Our immune system has two parts:
• Innate immune system is our natural defence system that provides immediate but general protection against harmful pathogens. Physical barriers like our skin and mucous membranes as well as chemical components like phagocytes are part of the innate immune system.
• Adaptive immune system on the other hand is more specific in its protective response. It basically learns to recognise certain harmful pathogens and develops a defence against them. This immunity is built over time after exposure to these pathogens.
Both these parts have largely similar roles. So before getting into the connection between the body immune system and the gut, we need to answer the imperative question – what is the function of the immune system? Between both parts of the immune system, the immune cells:
• Identify and destroy germs
• Remember past infections and how to protect you from them so you don’t get sick again
• Prevent harmful reactions to harmless things (like food or pollen)
• Repair your body after injury
Basically, a strong immune system means you’re less likely to fall sick again and, even when you do, you’re able to recover faster.
The Gut-Immune System Connection
Our gut keeps our immune system healthy in a lot of ways:
1. The Gut is Your Body’s “Immune Headquarters”: About 70% of your entire immune system lives in or around your gut, especially the intestines (1). This is because your digestive tract is the entry point for foreign things (like food, germs, or toxins) into your body. So this is where your immune cells are headquartered, so they can catch problems early.
2. Good Bacteria Train Your Immune System: The microbiome in your gut (i.e. your good bacteria) trains your immune system to tell the difference between harmless things like food and dangerous substances, reducing allergies and unnecessary immune reactions.
3. Gut Microbiota Influences Whole-Body Health: Signals made by your gut bacteria can travel to other organs through the bloodstream, supporting your body’s resistance to infections beyond the gut, like in the lungs, skin, or even brain. This link is known as the “gut-lung axis” and “gut-brain axis”.
4. Imbalance Can Hurt Immunity: If your gut microbiome becomes unbalanced from things like too much processed food, illness, or antibiotics, the immune system becomes confused. This can lead to more infections, gut problems, and even cause inflammation or autoimmune diseases (when your immune system attacks your own body) (2).
5. Impact Beyond the Gut: Changes in your gut health can lead to allergies, asthma, skin conditions, and even mood swings, because gut-immune communication affects the entire body.
So your gut and immune system are a team – the healthier your gut, the smarter and stronger your immunity will be all over your body.
Signs of Poor Gut Health
To figure out how to improve gut health, you need to know how to identify the signs that your gut needs help:
• Frequent bloating
• Gassy feeling in the stomach
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Stomach pain
• Nausea or vomiting
And of course, the signs of a weak immune system also denote that your gut is probably out of order:
• Frequent illness
• Chronic fatigue, low energy levels
• Skin problems
Feeding Your Gut: Probiotics and Prebiotics
Probiotics are foods that provide your gut with living microorganisms (like bacteria or yeast) that support the gut in functions like digestion. You need probiotics to prevent an imbalance in your gut microbiome. Fermented foods and drinks are good sources of probiotics, so eat:
• Yogurt, kefir
• Miso soup
• Kombucha tea
• Sauerkraut or kimchi
• Pickles, pickle juice
• Other pickled vegetables
Prebiotics serve as foods for your gut microbiome. Your good bacteria can feed on prebiotics and grow, maintaining the health of your gut and immune system. Prebiotics are found mostly in high-fibre foods, like:
• Legumes like dal, beans
• Oats
• Fruits like bananas, apples, berries
• Vegetables like asparagus, garlic, onions
How to Improve Gut Health
Improving gut health, and indirectly also immune health, doesn’t need fancy supplements. Apart from making sure you’re getting enough probiotics and prebiotics, sticking to our traditional Indian foods and habits can make a big difference:
Foods for Your Gut
• Eat the rainbow: Different coloured veggies, fruits, and pulses provide all the nutrients that you need to feed your good gut bacteria.
• Fibre is king: Dal, chana, oats, brown rice, whole wheat, and sabzi are fibre-rich foods that support digestion.
• Fermented foods: Curd (dahi), buttermilk (chaas), idli, dosa, kanji, and pickles for natural probiotics.
• Spices with benefits: Haldi (turmeric), jeera (cumin), ajwain, and hing (asafoetida) can soothe the stomach and lower inflammation.
Gut Health Drinks
• Lassi or buttermilk: Full of probiotics that support digestion.
• Homemade kanji: Made with carrots or beets, naturally fermented.
• Amla (Indian gooseberry) juice: Vitamin C-rich, supports immunity.
• Jeera water or ajwain water: Soothes bloating and aids in digestion.
• Fresh coconut water: Hydrates and refreshes the gut.
Lifestyle to Follow
• Stay active: Walking, yoga, or dancing helps gut movement and keeps bacteria happy.
• Eat on time: Regular meals help your gut know when to work.
• Proper hydration: Drink plenty of water, nimbu paani, or coconut water.
What to Avoid
• Too much fried, processed, and sugary foods (they feed “bad” bacteria).
• Overuse of antibiotics, as they kill good and bad bacteria.
• Excessive stress and lack of sleep, as they both disturb your gut environment.
Final Thoughts
The gut and immune system are close friends – taking care of one helps the other. Our Indian diets and traditional lifestyle already point the way: eat a variety of foods, include fermented dishes, use beneficial spices, and keep moving. Even small, everyday habits make a big impact on both your stomach and your body’s defence system.
FAQs
Q1. How to improve gut health?
Eating a lot of fibre-rich foods, fermented foods like curd and idli, staying active, and cutting down processed or sugary foods can go a long way in improving your gut health.
Q2. How does gut bacteria help the immune system?
Gut bacteria help the immune system by training immune cells to distinguish between harmful invaders and harmless substances, supporting proper immune responses, and reducing unnecessary inflammation.
Q3. What are the best foods for gut health?
The best foods for your gut health are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dal, pulses, curd, buttermilk, and fermented foods like dosa and kanji.
Q4. What drinks are good for the gut?
Good drinks for the gut include water (hydration is often the answer!), buttermilk (chaas), lassi, amla juice, jeera water, and naturally fermented drinks like kanji.