Results from a study conducted at Georgia State University
suggest that a "fight" between bacteria normally living in the
intestines and the immune system, kicked off by another type of
bacteria, may be linked to two types of chronic disease. The
study suggests that the "fight" continues after the instigator
bacteria have been cleared by the body, according to Andrew
Gewirtz, professor of biology at the GSU Center for
Inflammation, Immunity and Infection. That fight can result in
metabolic syndrome, an important factor in obesity, or
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The results were published in
the journal Cell Host & Microbe. "The implication at present is
that it is very important to control the early environment,"
Gewirtz said. "We need to examine how this can be achieved -
perhaps via breastfeeding, a more diverse diet, probiotics are
possibilities." The study's results are important as instances
of chronic diseases like metabolic syndrome and IBD are
increasing rapidly among humans, he explained. Metab