In 2020, comfort food came to the rescue: Faced with crises, people used nostalgic food and familiar food cravings to calm their worries. As the pandemic progressed, we ate more pizza, burgers, ice cream, fries and macaroni, according to one survey conducted in July.
New research suggests that sticking to these eating patterns may not be good for our gut health, and that this may be consistent with an increase in dangerous, inflammatory bacteria. As a result, if 2020 was the year of chronic casual eating, 2021 could be the year of chronic inflammation. But there is a way out: by avoiding certain food groups now, the billions of gut bacteria that live in you can thrive and protect your health in the long run.
In a new study published in the journal Intestine, researchers evaluated the intestinal microbiome of 1425 people. They found that people who ate more of certain foods had more markers of inflammation and that these patterns were similar in groups to intestinal diseases. However, other food groups have been linked to higher levels of protective and anti-inflammatory bacteria.
Among other patterns, the study identifies vegetables, plant foods and fish as linked to beneficial, “commensal” bacteria. These types of bacteria in turn are associated with lower levels of inflammation and nutrient metabolism. Conversely, people with a rich diet, processed foods and sugar have more markers on inflammation and higher levels of problematic bacteria that can cause disease.
Laura Bolte is one of the main authors of the study and a researcher at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. She tells Reverse that her study connects the digestive system to our health as a whole.
“Our study suggests that the gut microbiome may be one possible link between diet and disease risk,” she says.
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HOW TO TREAT THIS LONELINESS – Inflammation is a broad term that encompasses many different reactions in the body. In general, inflammation occurs as a physiological response to threats, such as pathogens, invasive objects, or even sunburn. We may feel feverish or tired, experience redness and swelling, or experience pain when our immune system tackles the threat.
But these inflammatory immune cells can overreact and fight the body’s own cells. This is what happens in conditions such as arthritis, psoriasis and intestinal problems such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Over a long period of time, chronic inflammation can be associated with many of the conditions that lead to serious health issues and often also due to cardiovascular problems.
The new study suggests that we can reduce the adaptation of microbes associated with inflammation by increasing beneficial bacteria, even if our intestinal microbiome is unhealthy to begin with.
‘[This] may be relevant to other diseases in which inflammation, microbial changes in the intestines and nutrition are a common thread, “says Bolte.
She said that for example, there is a decrease in bacteria with anti-inflammatory properties in cancer, obesity and liver cirrhosis. If we can increase the good bacteria while we can also reduce the bad things, this is good news for our health in general, and to limit the toll that inflammation can take on us in old age, as the bodies of our bodies more become vulnerable.
SCIENCE IN ACTION – Scientists analyzed 1425 stool samples collected from people in the North of the Netherlands. The participants were divided into four groups: ‘healthy controls’, people with irritable bowel syndrome, people with Crohn’s disease and people with ulcerative colitis. All three of these conditions are related to inflammation in the digestive system.
All participants completed a detailed questionnaire about their eating habits during the month prior to the study. The researchers analyzed the stool samples using DNA extraction to detect the microorganisms, and then identified and determined how abundant certain microbes were in each sample using specialized software.
The researchers identified patterns of bacterial species in the samples and compared these patterns with the food the participants reported, as well as the intestinal composition between groups.
WHY THIS IS A HACK – This study contributes to what was already known about the link between chronic inflammation, intestinal health and diet. Western diets, for example, have been associated with inflammation underlying certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes and liver disease. Mediterranean diets, or diets high in legumes, fish, vegetables, and nuts, are associated with a lower risk of irritable bowel syndrome, and many people follow this type of diet to reduce the symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
This study draws direct, clear links – or at least strong associations – between certain food and bacterial populations with known roles in our health. Some of the most compelling links were:
- Processed foods and foods derived from animals have been linked to more inflammatory bacteria known as ‘opportunists’. These bacteria can cause disease under certain conditions.
- Meat, mayonnaise, fries and soft drinks are constantly linked to a group of “unfriendly” bacteria. These bacteria can erode the lining of the intestinal wall if they do not have enough fiber to feed.
- Nuts, fruits, fish, vegetables, grains and red wine have been linked to a greater number of gut-friendly bacteria creating ‘short-chain fatty acids’. These acids help reduce inflammation and protect the intestines.
- Coffee is strongly associated with a bacterium known as Oscillibacter – a type of probiotic with anti-inflammatory properties.
- Fermented low-fat dairy products have been linked to higher populations of lactic acid bacteria, which also have health benefits.
The patterns were consistent and applied not only to ‘healthy’ people, but also to those who had the most difficult digestive problems.
“What was surprising was to see such a clear link between what we consider a healthy diet and a healthy gut microbiota composition,” says Bolte.
Finally, eating more of these five food groups can be the key to protecting gut health and fighting harmful inflammation:
- Neute
- Whole grain
- Fish
- Vegetables and other plants
- Fermented dairy
What this study does not determine is how long one will have to maintain a certain diet to transform their intestinal composition, says Bolte. And what may be beneficial for people in the North of the Netherlands may not be exactly what works for everyone else.
But the results provide even more evidence that diets that are higher in legumes, nuts, grains, fish and vegetables, can increase longevity and prevent the form of inflammation that characterizes numerous chronic diseases.
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