Mixed
Specific bacterial metabolites, particularly short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate and polysaccharides like PSA, directly modulate adaptive immunity by promoting Treg differentiation and suppressing pro-inflammatory Th17 responses.
To support immune balance, focus on consuming fiber-rich foods that feed your gut bacteria to produce SCFAs like butyrate. These metabolites help expand regulatory T cells (Tregs) which calm inflammation, while suppressing excessive inflammatory Th17 responses. This is a key mechanism for preventing autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
Polysaccharide A (PSA) from Bacteroides fragilis promoted Treg cell secretion and then suppressed Th17 activity... Butyrate, a large intestinal bacterial metabolite, drives colonic expansion of Treg cells in mice by reinforcing histone H3 acetylation...
Why this rating
Review paper citing multiple animal and in vitro studies; strong mechanistic evidence but limited direct human clinical trial data presented.
Source
Nutrients Mediate Intestinal Bacteria–Mucosal Immune Crosstalk
Ning Ma et al. · Frontiers in Immunology · 2018
DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00005
More from this paper
- Dietary non-digestible carbohydrates (fiber) serve as the primary carbon source for gut bacteria, and their fermentation into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate regulates mucosal immune homeostasis by influencing T-cell differentiation and barrier integrity.Moderate
- Deficiencies in pattern recognition receptors (TLRs and NLRs) or their signaling pathways lead to dysbiosis, impaired mucosal barrier function, and increased susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and metabolic syndrome.Moderate
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