Although it sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, a new study in the journal Nature suggests that your brain can sense when someone with an infection comes into your vicinity (or a pathogen floats by in the air) and send messages to your immune system so it can create a defense against the disease before you are actually infected with it.

Researchers used virtual reality to simulate a person's response to potential exposure and examined electronic crosstalk in people’s brains to tabulate the immune system's responsiveness.

How does the brain manage this? Another study in Nature reveals that cells from the adaptive immune system reside in the brain. It seems they may have the ability to connect its infection-sensing regions with the immune system components that exist in the brain and in the gut.

Never has it been clearer that keeping your brain and gut healthy is essential for keeping yourself disease-free.

A diet that keeps your brain's blood vessels clear also keeps the microbes in your gut biome in balance: no red or processed meats, plenty of fruits and veggies, and no highly processed foods or added sugars.

A gut that enjoys a good daily supply of fiber from whole grains, and fruits and vegetables also helps.