Covid-19 & Health Update: US Dietary Patterns Impair Immune Function
Hello once again everyone:
We all know that alongside the pandemic of Covid-19, there is a pandemic of chronic disease that creates comorbidities, and it is this combination that is killing our country and other parts of the world. Here is a paper that outlines how the Standard American Diet (SAD) contributes to alterations in immune competence through changes in our gut immune system and gut microbiome. Here are some quotes from the two links below that are both about the same study:
“Eating a Western diet impairs the immune system in the gut in ways that could increase risk of infection and inflammatory bowel disease, according to a study from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Cleveland Clinic.
The study, in mice and people, showed that a diet high in sugar and fat causes damage to Paneth cells, immune cells in the gut that help keep inflammation in check. When Paneth cells aren’t functioning properly, the gut immune system is excessively prone to inflammation, putting people at risk of inflammatory bowel disease and undermining effective control of disease-causing microbes.”
“Our findings provide a mechanistic link between poor diet and inhibition of gut innate immunity and uncover an effect of FXR activation in gut inflammation.”
Bottom Line:
This was a short-term study that revealed the SAD of high fat, high sugar combination derails gut health through multiple complex mechanisms. What they do not note is that gut inflammation will permeate our entire body and thus impair health in other organs and functions, especially brain. For you and me, this simply means that consumption a diet rich in organic, unprocessed whole foods lower in animal-based products and high in plant-based foods can reasonably be expected to improve health by lowering our inflammatory burden…as long as we have not gone beyond the point of no return. The only way to know is to actually eat right and see what happens. In this scenario, most have much to gain and possibly much to lose as well.
One of the better plans and the best description of this approach, so far, has been through the book “The Longevity Diet” by Valter Longo, PhD. Additionally, this book has a great science-based approach. Why is that important? Because most of us are not aware that there is a growing consensus of what constitutes a healthy food plan. Why are we not aware of this? Because when we look at the internet or other sources, there are at least several hundred diet books and plans and recommendations which make it look like no-one knows what the heck they are talking about. When you sort through all the hype, the dietary approach that Dr. Longo puts forth is the one with the most science and common sense. However, the science is never settled, and new information is always being found about food and health. Right now, we do know that the SAD is not good for us, so any upgrade would be helpful!!
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