Show 1483: The Gut Immune Solution

When you decide to grab a bite to eat, do you think about how to feed your gut microbes? Most of us don’t. Even if we did, their only means of stating their preferences is somewhat after the fact. Do you end up feeling less than well? Perhaps the denizens of your gut aren’t happy. In this episode, we consider how to support your microbiota and whether that can reduce the inflammation that seems to accompany modern life.

At The People’s Pharmacy, we strive to bring you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about health, medicine, wellness and health policies and health systems. While these conversations intend to offer insight and perspective, the content is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. Please consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical care or treatment.

How You Can Listen

You could listen through your local public radio station or get the live stream at 7 am EST on Saturday, August 15, 2026, through your computer or smart phone (wunc.org). Here is a link so you can find which stations carry our broadcast. If you can’t listen to the broadcast, you may wish to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe through your favorite podcast provider, download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of the page, or listen to the stream on this post starting on August 17, 2026.

Feed Your Gut Right to Fight Inflammation

Dr. Will Bulsiewicz is a gastroenterologist who urges all of us to focus on a healthful fiber-rich plant-strong diet to maintain our microbiome in good shape. He has described his own evolution from a busy medical student relying heavily on processed food products to a whole-food plant-based enthusiast. Eating a wide variety of plants is one of the easiest ways to make sure we are getting the nutrients our gut microbes need.

Why are the trillions of microbes in our large intestine so important? Dr. Bulsiewicz (aka Dr. B.) shares the story of a patient who was overwhelmed by a serious C. diff infection. A course of clindamycin for a skin infection had decimated her normal microbiome and left an open field for C. diff to flourish. Instead of treating her with surgery and even more potent antibiotics, Dr. B. and his colleagues utilized a fecal transplant. She got poop from a healthy person into her colon and left the hospital a few days later in good health herself.

What Is the Link Between the Microbiome and the Immune System?

Inflammation is one of the primary signs that the immune system has gone into action to fight off a perceived foe. There is a close relationship between the gut microbes, the gut barrier and the cells of the immune system. Between 70 and 80 percent of immune system cells are present in the gut (Nutrients, March 9, 2021).  There is just one layer of cells in the gut barrier, firmly attached to each other through tight junctions. If those tight junctions break down, pathogens and toxins can get from the gut into the bloodstream and activate the immune system into creating inflammation

Medicines That Harm the Intestinal Barrier

Diets that are high in salt have a negative impact on the integrity of the intestinal barrier (Nutrients, Nov. 25, 2025). In fact, a diet high in salt can reduce the number of Lactobacilli in the gut by 90%. This also affects the permeability of the gut barrier, which can contribute to auto-immune conditions.

When we asked about inflammatory bowel disorders such as Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis, Dr. B. told us he thinks it’s a mistake to classify them as auto-immune conditions. Instead, he suggests we should consider these conditions as due to the immune system rejecting the microbiome. Some of them might be initiated and perpetuated by failures in the gut barrier that allow certain organisms or their toxins into systemic circulation.