Your gut has an obvious job: It processes the food you eat. But it has another important function: It protects you from the bacteria, viruses, or allergens you ingest along with that food. โThe largest part of the immune system in humans is the GI tract, and our biggest exposure to the world is what we put in our mouth,โ says Michael Helmrath, a pediatric surgeon at Cincinnati Childrenโs Hospital Medical Center who treats patients with intestinal diseases.
Sometimes this system malfunctions or doesnโt develop properly, which can lead to gastrointestinal conditions like ulcerative colitis, Crohnโs disease, and celiacโall of which are on the rise worldwide. Studying these conditions in animals can only tell us so much, since their diets and immune systems are very different from ours.