Most know that the immune system serves our body as a defense system with alarms that warn of incoming danger. Did you know that our daily ritual of meals influences those alarm bells? As a functional MD always on the lookout for simple ways to help my patients live a healthier more abundant life, the simplicity of this concept intrigues me.
Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute reported in Nature Immunology that the hormone VIP (Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide) kickstarted the immune system when we eat. They also demonstrated that our GI immune system has a circadian rhythm. The GI tract anticipates the timing of the next meal and begins to raise the immune system activity based on the normal schedule it expects.
A specific immune cell in the GI tract called a group 3 innate lymphoid cell (ILC3) produced an immune messenger called interleukin-22 in response to eating. This IL 22 production was stimulated by the VIP hormone and led to upregulation of the local immune system.
The discovery that this same system ramps up and calms down in expectation of normal meals times also sparks further questions. Could this be why disruptions to our daily schedules especially eating patterns are linked to chronic gut inflammation?
Other questions that arise from this study include whether certain foods are more contributory to others? Could a specific diet be more supportive of gut immune and suppressive of gut inflammation?
Until we have more answers, we can encourage our patients to slow down for their meals and keep a regular schedule of life including meal times. Rushed eating under pressure prevents proper digestion by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system rather than the parasympathetic. And it looks like a fluctuating eating schedule might negatively impact our body’s attempts to defend us from pathogens ingested during meals. Discerning how to keep our lives in a regular pattern takes both skill and willpower, but it may be a necessary ingredient to the healthier more abundant life.
Original Article:
Cyril Seillet, Kylie Luong, Julie Tellier, Nicolas Jacquelot, Rui Dong Shen, Peter Hickey, Verena C. Wimmer, Lachlan Whitehead, Kelly Rogers, Gordon K. Smyth, Alexandra L. Garnham, Matthew E. Ritchie, Gabrielle T. Belz. The neuropeptide VIP confers anticipatory mucosal immunity by regulating ILC3 activity. Nature Immunology, 2019; 21 (2): 168 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-019-0567-y
Thanks to Science Daily:
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. “Gut reaction: How immunity ramps up against incoming threats.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 January 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200129174520.htm>.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
