Human intestine may house nearly 2kg of good bacteria, helping formation of short-chained fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory effect on our bone joints.
A fibre-rich food like Museli has been known to help us lead a healthy life. But now a research has found that it can also have a positive impact on chronic inflammatory joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis by improving supply in intestine of short-chained fatty acids, which have an anti-inflammatory effect and boost our body’s immunity against a host of pathogens.
The team of scientists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) (University of Erlangen Nurnberg), Germany, showed that how a healthy diet rich in fibre is capable of changing intestinal bacteria in such a way that more short-chained fatty acids are formed.
Short chain fatty acids propionate and butyrate are formed during the fermentation processes caused by intestinal bacteria, which help us in our digestion by breaking fibre down into its individual components, which can then be absorbed by the body.
“We were able to show that a bacteria-friendly diet has an anti-inflammatory effect, as well as a positive effect on bone density” says Dr. Mario Zaiss, who led the research team.
The study findings, which were published recently in the journal Nature Communications, “offer a promising approach for developing innovative therapies for inflammatory joint diseases as well as for treating osteoporosis, which is often suffered by women after the menopause”, adds Dr. Zaiss.
Although more research needs to be carried out on how exactly intestinal bacteria and the immune system communicate with each other, it is known through earlier studies that intestinal flora can either protect against illness or cause illness, depending on its composition. If the various bacteria coexist harmoniously, they can protect the intestinal wall and prevent it from letting pathogens pass through.
