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The diversity of the microbiota promotes the strengthening of the immune system

Our gut microbiota is a major player in the immune response. Good news: food allows you to modulate it more or less. A good reason to learn to eat a balanced diet now.

Interview: the intestinal microbiota, an essential ally of the immune system The intestinal microbiota groups together all the microbes present in our intestine. It allows a good functioning as well as a certain protection of the colon. Gerard Eberl, head of the Micro-environment & Immunity unit at the Institut Pasteur, tells us more during this interview.

We read everywhere, here and there, that, to be able to fight against the new Covid-19 disease, it should " take care of your microbiota " This statement does not mean much. It is more accurate to speak of promoting the diversity of our microbiota. But, by the way, what is a good microbiota ? How to promote this diversity? And what are the dietary advice to achieve this?

Pampering your microbiota: an expression "vacuum of science"

The gut microbiota (there are other microbiota like the microbiota of our skin or even that of our lungs...) is the ideal place of residence for an immensity ofcash bacterial, viral and fungal. Some are beneficial, others neutral and some may be problematic if there are too many. However, this "organ" is very complex. The research applies to highlight correlations between the presence of certain species and human health but this is not always conclusive (in question in particular microbiota / genome / environment interactions). In reality, scientists still have a hard time knowing what a "good" microbiota is for a given individual. To see more clearly on these questions, ABSMARTHEALTH called on a scientist, Filipe de Vadder, researcher on microbiota and intestinal physiology at the Institut de genomics of Lyon.

"On can talk about "Well" microbiota when you have a rich microbiota, that is, with many species, but also and above all, in metabolic function, " he specifies. But are there some species that seem more beneficial than others? " There are trends, for example the species Prevotella copri, whose wealth is associated to the good metabolic health ofhost, he explains. This bacterium has a great capacity to digest fibers. That's what it's all about when I talk about the richness of metabolic functions. ”

Microbiota capital that can be modulated

In other words, a great diversity of species within the intestine participates in a great diversity of metabolic functions which, itself, participates in good health. This is why it is important not to undertake restrictive diet (outside of therapeutic regimen) to avoid unbalancing this richness. Filipe de Vadder specifies that “ studies show that our microbiota is strongly impacted by what we eat. And it can create a vicious or virtuous circle. " But you're used to it now, science is always a little more complex than that. The researcher then concludes that “levolution has spiked things up a bit. Teams have shown that the Prevotella family is very present among hunter-gatherers but is often absent in more sedentary populations. In sum, it would seem that, like capital genetic, Each has its own "microbiota capital" starting point, which can be modulated in favor of or against the health of the host, depending on his lifestyle and his environment ”.

Finally, we also know that the microbiota participates in the immune response (one of its major metabolic functions) and that having a "good" microbiota is an advantage in the fight against pathogens. A good microbiota can therefore probably help you if you are infected with Sars-CoV-2 or other pathogens. In addition, the changes induced can be rapid both at the individual level and at the scale of a population. A good reason to eat a balanced diet. We will therefore see how to achieve this and what to prioritize, on scientific grounds, in an attempt to durably modify its microbiota into a “Scrooge” of metabolic functions.

Eating a balanced diet: instructions for use

In order to know how to eat a balanced diet, ABSMARTHEALTH called on Anne-Laure Laratte, dietician-nutritionist. These practitioners, when not being engulfed by the weight loss industry, are the guarantors good food. Let's see some basic rules suggested by this professional concerning the food to adopt during confinement (and even after):

  • Keep a regular eating schedule with consistent schedules.

  • Allow yourself a snack in the afternoon (if you are hungry). Something light will do: a dairy product, oilseeds, A fruit or a cereal product for example.

  • Take the time to establish recipes so as not to find the shopping cart filled ultra-processed foods.

  • In this period of confinement, a little more frozen (natural) and canned vegetables can be useful to limit your movements and thus always have vegetables in your daily meals. However, keep buying fresh vegetables when you go out shopping.

  • Allow yourself a pleasure meal per week and an aperitif. Containment has harmful psychological effects and don't forget to relax the pressure.

  • Do not forget to stay hydrated. To do this, keep a bottle of water next to you throughout the day.

  • For a little extra in terms of microbiota, give pride of place to fermented foods (sauerkraut, etc.), raw foods (fruits and vegetables), legumes, cereals complete or semi-complete (lenses, beans, pasta, rice, etc.) and dairy products (up to 2 per day). If you are not used to eating these foods, change your diet gradually.

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