Health Discoveries in General Health News
Soluble fiber in healthy foods may strengthen the bodys immune system
April 9, 2010
Long known for improving digestion, soluble fiber is now believed to strengthen the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body, a University of Illinois study has found.
The study determined that soluble fiber – found in many healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, oats and nuts – causes increased production of the anti-inflammatory protein interleukin-4.
"Soluble fiber changes the personality of immune cells – they go from being pro-inflammatory, angry cells to anti-inflammatory, healing cells that help us recover faster from infection," said Gregory Freund, a professor at the university's medical school.
The study, which is available online and will be published in May in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, focused on laboratory tests on mice that showed a six-week diet improved their recovery from infection.
One of the autoimmune clinical trials now under way at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is studying the effectiveness of the drug rituxima in treating people diagnosed with dermatomyositis or polymyositis, two diseases that cause muscle weakness. The research is part of a larger, multi-center clinical trial in which the North Shore-LIJ Health System is participating.
The study determined that soluble fiber – found in many healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, oats and nuts – causes increased production of the anti-inflammatory protein interleukin-4.
"Soluble fiber changes the personality of immune cells – they go from being pro-inflammatory, angry cells to anti-inflammatory, healing cells that help us recover faster from infection," said Gregory Freund, a professor at the university's medical school.
The study, which is available online and will be published in May in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, focused on laboratory tests on mice that showed a six-week diet improved their recovery from infection.
One of the autoimmune clinical trials now under way at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is studying the effectiveness of the drug rituxima in treating people diagnosed with dermatomyositis or polymyositis, two diseases that cause muscle weakness. The research is part of a larger, multi-center clinical trial in which the North Shore-LIJ Health System is participating.