What if preparing for winter started in the gut?
Runny nose, sore throat, cough, tiredness… As autumn arrives and the first cold days set in, seasonal respiratory infections make a strong comeback. Life in groups, enclosed spaces and close contact all help respiratory viruses to circulate.
At this time of year, when our body is under greater strain, one question is worth asking: how can we prepare our natural defences before the cold really sets in?
Part of the answer lies in a healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet and enough sleep… but also in a long-underestimated player: the gut microbiota.
The microbiota: a key partner of our immune system
Our gut is home to billions of micro-organisms that make up our gut microbiota.
We now know that its role goes far beyond digestion.
The microbiota is in constant dialogue with our immune system. It contributes to the development and regulation of immune responses, particularly in the intestinal mucosa.
Why does the gut play such an important role?
Because it is one of the main interfaces between our body and the outside world. A large share of the structures and cells involved in immunity are linked to the digestive system: around 70% of immune cells are found in our gut.
The key idea is well established: the gut and its microbiota play a major role in how our immune system works.
The microbiota and our defences: a relationship to nurture
The microbiota can contribute to the body’s defences in several ways.
Gut bacteria occupy their environment and therefore compete with unwanted pathogenic micro-organisms. They also produce substances that help maintain the intestinal environment, and they communicate with immune cells.
This relationship is complex and individual: a balanced microbiota does not simply mean having “lots of good bacteria”, but having a diverse and functional ecosystem.
Diet, stress, sleep, physical activity and certain medicines, particularly antibiotics, can disrupt and unbalance this ecosystem.
That is why looking after your microbiota is a sensible step within an overall approach to health.
Why prepare your microbiota before the cold sets in?
The microbiota cannot be prepared overnight.
It is a bit like training for a marathon: you don’t start training the day before the race. You prepare gradually, build good habits and give your body time to adapt.
The same logic applies to the microbiota.
Its balance is constantly changing with our diet, lifestyle, environment and many other factors. Looking after this ecosystem ahead of time therefore makes perfect sense when a more demanding period is approaching.
Back-to-school season: the right time to start
When summer ends, group life resumes: school, work, public transport, sports activities, meetings… Close contact increases and autumn gradually ushers in the respiratory infection season.
That is why it is important to start looking after your microbiota and your natural defences before the cold weather arrives.
How can you support your microbiota?
There is no single way to look after your microbiota.
A rich and varied diet, especially one high in fibre, is the foundation. But some formulas also combine probiotic bacteria, also known as microbiotic bacteria, with prebiotics, which act as a substrate for certain gut bacteria.
This is the thinking behind PHARMALP DEFENSES.
A formula combining 3 complementary active ingredients
PHARMALP DEFENSES®
Microbiotic bacteria
3 specially selected strains: Lactobacillus helveticus R0052, Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071 and Bifidobacterium infantis R0033, for a total of 3 billion bacteria per capsule.
Prebiotics
80 mg of FOS per capsule, providing a source of substrate for gut bacteria.
Zinc
1.5 mg per capsule. Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
The choice of strains matters: when it comes to probiotics, results obtained with one bacterium cannot be generalised to all others. The effects are strain-specific.
The three strains in PHARMALP DEFENSES were selected for characteristics documented in the scientific literature, particularly their interaction with the gut microbiota.
Support before and during winter
PHARMALP DEFENSES supports the natural defences before and during the winter season. It can be used for winter prevention, from the end of summer and before the cold sets in, but also as an immediate response when the first symptoms appear.
It is part of an overall preventive approach, alongside a balanced diet, a healthy lifestyle and the usual preventive measures.
Your ally to get through winter
We often think about our immune system when the first symptoms appear.
But preparation starts well before that.
The end of summer and early autumn are good times to adopt a routine that benefits your body.
Looking after your sleep, diet, physical activity and microbiota allows you to take an overall approach to your natural defences.
Your microbiota is at the heart of your defences. Look after it before the cold sets in.
Key takeaways
- The gut microbiota is in close dialogue with the immune system.
- Looking after your microbiota is part of an overall approach to preparing for winter.
- Preparation starts before the cold sets in, ideally at the end of summer.
- PHARMALP DEFENSES combines 3 microbiotic strains, FOS and zinc.
- Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
- DEFENSES complements preventive measures and does not replace a balanced diet or the advice of a healthcare professional.
Frequently asked questions
What is the link between the microbiota and the immune system?
The gut microbiota is in constant dialogue with the immune system and contributes to the development and regulation of immune responses. Around 70% of immune cells are found in the gut.
When should you start looking after your microbiota before winter?
Ideally at the end of summer, before the cold weather arrives. The balance of the microbiota changes gradually, so it makes sense to look after it ahead of the winter season.
What can unbalance the microbiota?
An unbalanced diet, stress, poor-quality sleep, a sedentary lifestyle and certain medicines, particularly antibiotics, can disrupt this ecosystem.
What is the difference between probiotics and prebiotics?
Probiotics, also known as microbiotic bacteria, are bacteria. Prebiotics, such as FOS, act as a substrate for certain gut bacteria.
What does PHARMALP DEFENSES contain?
PHARMALP DEFENSES combines 3 microbiotic strains (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052, Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071 and Bifidobacterium infantis R0033, i.e. 3 billion bacteria per capsule), 80 mg of FOS and 1.5 mg of zinc. Zinc contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
Does PHARMALP DEFENSES replace a healthy lifestyle?
No. DEFENSES complements preventive measures and does not replace a balanced diet or the advice of a healthcare professional.
Scientific references
- Cerf-Bensussan N, Gaboriau-Routhiau V. The immune system and the gut microbiota: friends or foes? Nature Reviews Immunology. 2010;10:735–744.
- Kamada N, et al. Role of the gut microbiota in immunity and inflammatory disease. Nature Reviews Immunology. 2013;13:321–335.
- MacPherson CW, et al. Multistrain Probiotic Modulation of Intestinal Epithelial Cells’ Immune Response to a Double-Stranded RNA Ligand, Poly(I·C). Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 2014;80.
- MacPherson CW, et al. Genome-Wide Immune Modulation of TLR3-Mediated Inflammation in Intestinal Epithelial Cells Differs between Single and Multi-Strain Probiotic Combination. PLOS ONE. 2017;12.
- West NP, et al. Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071 results in a greater proportion of healthy days and a lower percentage of academically stressed students reporting a day of cold/flu. British Journal of Nutrition. 2015;113:426–434.
- King S, et al. Effectiveness of probiotics on the duration of illness in healthy children and adults who develop common acute respiratory infectious conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Nutrition. 2014.
