Scientists recently discovered proof that a person’s microbiome can be an accurate predictor of their overall health. More specifically, Mayo Clinic researchers found that people who had been diagnosed with an illness are more likely to lack certain strains of bacteria in the gut.

In the not-so-distant future, doctors may be able to use this information to analyze your gut microbiome and provide a “health score” of sorts. And this makes sense because we know that gut health plays a major role in immunity.

Bottom line: If you want to boost your immune system, focus on gut health.

In this post, we’re going to outline a few of the best ways to boost gut health and strengthen the immune system.

Cut refined sugars and carbs

When you’re trying to improve gut health, your goal isn’t to banish bacteria. That would be impossible. Actually, we’re all running little (or not-so-little) bacteria farms in our guts. And we may not realize it, but every food choice we make either feeds the good bacteria or the bad ones.

As you might have guessed, refined sugars and carbs feed the bad buggies. And when you feed those bad guys, they will grow. When they grow, they begin to push out the good bacteria.

Eat prebiotic foods

Probiotics, like Mega Sporebiotic, get a lot of press, and for good reason, but prebiotics are the real superstar. You see, there’s something you may not know about probiotic supplements. They are transient.

This means that they do not take up residence in your gut. We’ll cover why you may want to take them anyway, but fixing your diet is a better strategy.

Prebiotic foods are foods that feed the good bacteria. So if you’re doing a complete diet overhaul, you’re going to want to replace those refined sugars and carbs with prebiotic foods like artichokes, asparagus, dandelion root, and garlic. There are too many prebiotic foods to list, but you’ll be pretty safe just eating all your veggies.

Take a probiotic supplement

Most probiotic strains that you can take orally are transient, which means they’re going to act more like tourists in your gut than residents. Some say this makes them a waste of time and money, but that’s simply not true. Even though probiotics are transient, they can help starve out some negative bacteria, and that can boost your overall immune system.

Different strains are good for different purposes, and science is still making discoveries about probiotics and gut health. But we know that a broad-spectrum probiotic like Synbiotic 365 is great for replenishing the gut flora. Just be sure to fix your diet while you’re taking a probiotic supplement and you’ll set yourself up for lasting improvements.

Try intermittent fasting

Again, there’s so much we still need to learn about gut health, so we can’t say with certainty that intermittent fasting definitely improves gut health. But there is some promising animal research to give us hope. The theory is that good bacteria is heartier than bad bacteria, and they are more likely to withstand a fast. So with intermittent fasting, you may be able to starve out the bad bugs and keep the good ones. Naturally, you’ll need to focus on prebiotic foods after a fast to strengthen those beneficial bacteria.

Now more than ever, it’s important to boost your immune system to improve your overall health. And the best way to do this is by focusing on your gut health. There’s no easy fix or quick solution, but with a commitment to change, you can make a positive change to your gut microbiome.