When you hear the words “immune system,” you probably think immediately of your body’s defense against seasonal maladies like cold and flu. A strong immune system is definitely an asset in protecting you from these and other invaders. But it turns out the immune system does a lot more than protect against microbes and infection.

When it comes to staying healthy, it seems like all roads lead back to your microbiome. Everything from anxiety to Parkinson’s to diabetes to depression to multiple sclerosis to cancer has been linked to the microbes you have (or don’t have) in your body. And now there’s another common condition in which your microbiome may make a huge difference… urinary incontinence.

Who doesn’t like a BOGO deal? When it comes to shopping, I’ll take a “buy one-get one” deal every time… but when it comes to health, BOGO means that when one system isn’t functioning, it affects all other systems. That’s why so many diseases are linked — especially when it comes to your gut-brain axis…

Everyone’s always telling you to eat probiotic foods. But once you’ve got that good bacteria in there, you have to feed it the right things to get it to stick around. That’s where prebiotic foods come in. One juicy fruit is perfectly suited to feed the healthy bacteria in your gut in a way that helps lower blood pressure, balances blood sugar and more…

Your gut contains a delicate balance of bacteria that help regulate your immune system. If that balance gets out of whack, it could make you more vulnerable to viral infections, including COVID-19. Researchers believe the right blend of probiotics could restore balance and help protect you from dangerous viral infections…

Your microbiome goes way beyond your gut. It extends across your whole body, including your most sensitive area. When the bacterial balance gets out of whack down there, you’re left with a nasty infection known as bacterial vaginosis. Luckily, a few specific strains of probiotics can quickly get your vaginal microbiome back on track…