Sick from the cold? In the winter time it often looks like this is the case. Everywhere you can hear people coughing, sneezing and blowing their noses.
No wonder we catch one too.
Getting sick from a cold – is that even possible?
The winter temperatures only have an indirect effect. When the temperatures drop, our heating is on high and we ventilate less to keep the warmth in the room. Warm heating plus insufficient ventilation results in a drier room climate. As the result, the mucous membranes (e.g. in the nose and throat) dry out. Without the protective mucus layer, germs have an easier time, because they tend to multiply in a dry environment – optimal conditions for winter diseases to develop.
A healthy gut helps ward off illness in winter
Did you know that around 80% of our immune system is located in the intestine? When the intestine is healthy, it forms a barrier for bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. But that’s not all: the intestine also prevents other foreign components, such as proteins from food, from entering our bodies.
Weakened gut = weakened immune system
When the intestine is weakened or inflamed, it is less able to fight off bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances. This promotes infections.
Food intolerance can also lead to inflammation of the intestine, which affects its immune functions. The ImuPro concept can be used to check whether a delayed food allergy could be present.
