#3 70% of immune cells are located in your gut
The gut can easily be nicknamed the "immune centre" of the body. With 70% of immune cells located in the gut4, there is no question that a healthy gut is important for day-to-day natural defences.
These immune cells are further supported by healthy gut microbiota (or friendly bacteria) to protect children against infection. The friendly bacteria form a layer covering the wall of the gut, thus acting as a barrier to prevent infection-causing germs from growing on the gut wall5,6.
The friendly bacteria also support the development of immune system so that it will not react in a hyperactive manner against safe substances, and thus help manage allergies7, especially in children, whose immune systems are still immature.
#4 90% of the serotonin, the “feel-good” hormone, is secreted in the gut
Did you know that 90% of our body’s serotonin – the “feel good” hormone that enables brain cells and nervous system cells to communicate with each other is secreted in the gut8?
Serotonin has many functions, and the serotonin secreted in the gut is primarily responsible for regulating the bowel movement – which has an impact on our total well-being and mood.
If the child's bowel movements are regular then it influences his comfort and well-being, promotes better sleep, which help his day-to-day mood and prepare him to engage with the world.
#5 The gut’s surface area is 50 square metres, while the skin's surface area is only 2 square metres
We just assumed that out of all our body parts, our skin has the largest surface area. However, at 50 square metres, the gut’s surface area is 25 times more than that of the skin, which is only 2 square metres9.
So while the skin remains a highly exposed zone of the body, the exposure to external world is much more important from the gut than the skin.
