AUSTRALIAN Scientists have found a direct link between what we eat and how well our Immune system operates, a breakthrough that could explain rising rates of auto-immune (inflammatory) disease across the Western world.
Professor Charles Mackay, working at Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, has identified how Fibre in the Diet plays a major role in ensuring a Person's immune cells function properly.
His research, published in the Journal Nature, also signals the shift of what had been a fringe concept into the scientific mainstream.
"THIS potentially explains all the previous data that no one had taken that seriously", Mackay says.
"I think it's fair to say the broader Immunological Research community has never really believed that diet affects immune responses.
"THIS does provide a direct link for the way Immune cells work with the sort of things we eat".
WORKING along with PhD Student Kendle Maslowski, Mackay investigated the operation of an immune-cell receptor known to bind with short-chain fatty acids - what Fibre is reduced to once it is processed by Bacteria in the gut.
THIS broken-down Fibre was found to "profoundly affect immune-cell function", Mackay says,
and without it the Immune cells appeared more likely to go awry.
Auto-immune disease refers to disorders in which a Person's immune system mistakenly attacks parts of the body, causing inflammation.
"WHEN (Immune cells) go bad they cause inflammatory diseases - Asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, inflammatory Bowel disease", Mackay says.
"We think one of the mechanisms for their normal control is short-chain fatty acids binding to this receptor.
"And, if we were to speculate on the real significance of this, we believe firmly that the best explanation for the increase in inflammatory diseases in Western Countries...is our changes in diet".
A lack of Dietary Fibre could also be behind the rise in Type-1 Diabetes, Mackay says.
The Research suggests that having a healthy Diet rich in Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds would reduce a Person's risk of auto-immune (inflammatory) disease.
IT also helps explain why food supplements that affect the balance of Gut Bacteria were known to reduce the symptoms of some inflammatory conditions.
Mackay says Dietary Fibre, or Roughage, was otherwise known to reduce the risk of Cardiovascular Disease and certain Cancers, plus it ensures you will be regular.
"The role of Nutrition...is an exciting new topic in Immunology", he says. *(December 2009)
* "That's FOOD for THOUGHT" - and, without thought we wouldn't respond (answer/act in answer to any stimulus)!k.
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