Fermented Foods can Benefit Health by Activating the Immune System

by Adeline Dorcas on May 24, 2019 at 12:42 PM

Good bacteria in fermented foods can boost our immune system instantly and offer a wide range of health-promoting benefits. But, a new study is digging deeper to find out why are fermented foods so healthy.

A team of researchers has discovered that humans and great apes possess a receptor on their cells that detects metabolites from bacteria commonly found in fermented foods and triggers movement of immune cells. Claudia Stäubert of the University of Leipzig and colleagues report these findings in a new study published in PLOS Genetics.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a simple food with amazing benefits for the young and old. Yogurt is very trendy among French women on a diet. The popularity of yogurt among Americans is proved by its display of flavors.

‘Good bacteria in fermented foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut can signal the human immune system and offer a wide range of health-promoting benefits.’
Read More..

Tweet it Now

Consuming lactic acid bacteria - the kind that turn milk into yogurt and cabbage into sauerkraut - can offer many health benefits, but scientists still don't understand, on a molecular level, why it is helpful to ingest these bacteria and how that affects our immune system. Now, Stäubert and her colleagues have found one way that lactic acid bacteria interact with our bodies.

Initially, the researchers were investigating proteins on the surface of cells called hydroxycarboxylic acid (HCA) receptors. Most animals have only two types of this receptor, but humans and great apes have three. The researchers discovered that a metabolite produced by lactic acid bacteria, D-phenyllactic acid, binds strongly to the third HCA receptor, signaling the immune system their presence. The researchers propose that the third HCA receptor arose in a common ancestor of humans and great apes, and enabled them to consume foods that are starting to decay, such as fruits picked up from the ground.

Probiotics - Support System for the Gut

Probiotics are live microorganisms that resemble the "good bacteria" in our gut. Science is yet to fully explore the healing potential of probiotics; meanwhile some studies have ruled in their favor.

The study yields new insights into the evolutionary dynamics between microbes and their human hosts and opens new research directions for understanding the multiple positive effects of eating fermented foods. "We are convinced that this receptor very likely mediates some beneficial and anti-inflammatory effects of lactic acid bacteria in humans," stated author Claudia Stäubert. "That is why we believe it could serve as a potential drug target to treat inflammatory diseases."

Future studies may reveal the details of how D-phenyllactic acid impacts the immune system, and whether the metabolite also affects fat cells, which also carry the third HCA receptor on their surfaces.

Source: Eurekalert

Health Benefits of Probiotic Yogurt Diet

Probiotic yogurt adds bountiful of beneficial bacteria to the intestinal tract which prove to be effective in aiding digestive problems.

<< Leonardo da Vinci May Have Had ADHD: Here's Why

Car Accidents may Raise Heart Failure, Stroke Risk for Older... >>

Fermented Dairy Products Can Prevent Heart Attack

Fermented dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, quark, kefir, and sour milk can protect you from heart disease. So, include more fermented dairy products to your diet and prevent heart attack.