Green veggies enhance immunity during the flu season
Baku, November 5 (AZERTAC). Scientists at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, working together with the Medical Research Council`s National Institute for Medical Research, have recently carried out a new study that looked at how green vegetables influence immunity. Published in the online Journal Cell (a Cell Press publication), the research has identified a definite connection between specific chemicals found in green vegetables (such as broccoli and Chinese cabbage) and the good functioning of the immune system. It appears that tiny chemical compounds found in common green vegetables interact with immune cells of the gut, known as intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs), by effectively protecting them and boosting their numbers.
Intraepithelial lymphocytes are white blood cells that inhabit the area under the epithelium layer that lines many cavities and bodily structures. They are concentrated in the gastrointestinal tract, where their primary purpose is to release cytokines and destroy target cells that are infected by pathogens. Because the gastrointestinal tract is one of the main access routes that pathogens use to enter the body, a high count of intraepithelial lymphocytes is extremely beneficial to overall health.
Lead researcher and immunologist Marc Veldhoen, of The Babraham Institute, has stated that this is a surprising find for modern medical science. He conducted his experiment on otherwise healthy mice that were fed a purified synthetic diet almost completely lacking in vegetables.
Dr. Veldhoen`s team discovered that IEL numbers are directly linked to the presence of a special receptor protein known as aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), whose activity can be triggered by compounds found in green vegetables. Ahr proteins play multiple roles in physiology, including assisting the development of bodily cells, modulating adaptive responses in cells, and influencing lymphocyte counts. The science team compared the IEL counts in mice fed a synthetic diet to those from a group of mice that was fed a regular diet, and discovered that the mice in the first group had progressively lost the majority of their IELs, within just days of starting the vegetable free diet.
As their immune cell numbers declined, the affected mice scored lower levels of antimicrobial agents and became much more vulnerable to infections and injury. When the intestinal surface of these mice was intentionally damaged to test their immune reaction, the scientists found that their recovery was much slower when compared to the mice that were fed a healthy diet.
Other news in this section
