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From the Director - Gut health

26 April 2013

SCOPE 50

“You are what you eat.” We have all heard the expression, but what does it really mean?

The importance of eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables for good health is nothing new; we have had it drummed into us since childhood. However, only recently have we come to realise just how much our lifestyles and the food we eat can affect the health of our gut, and as a consequence, our overall health and wellbeing.

The link between gut health and diet has received renewed interest in recent years. Studies by Australian Immunologist Professor Charles Mackay have shown that the level of fibre in a diet can have a considerable effect on the composition of the gut microbiota. This in turn can affect immune responses, and predispose an individual to inflammatory diseases such as food allergy, inflammatory bowel disease and obesity.

 

Understanding more about the gut immune response and how it can influence gut health is an exciting new area of immunology that we believe presents new opportunities for treating inflammatory diseases.

 

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