Friendly Flora Help Turn Off Inflammatory Genes & Combat Infection

Excess inflammation in the intestinal tract is a common problem in America, resulting in a weakened host defense that makes a person more susceptible to germ gangs, such as H. pylori. Several new studies show that friendly flora, such as Lactobacillus plantarum can reduce inflammation while directly improving your immune system to deal with H. pylori.

One study specifically focused on the ability of friendly flora to reduce inflammation. The researchers found that friendly flora directly interacted with gene signals from intestinal tract tissue to reduce multiple aspects of inflammatory signaling. It is important to grasp that this is foreign bacteria (friendly in nature) that is communicating to body tissue, and having a beneficial impact. The researchers point out that this system-wide impact on inflammation is an attempt by the friendly flora to help restore natural balance (homeostasis Property of a system that regulates its internal environment to remain in a stable, constant condition. ) to the digestive tract by calming down overactive T cells. Such a benefit is of immense importance to health.

A second study looked at the impact of Lactobacillus plantarum on H. pylori. H. pylori is a normal inhabitant of your digestive system but can form germ gangs that wreak havoc with your stomach, and can cause ulcers. In this study the friendly flora was able to boost multiple aspects of needed immune function when in the presence of H. pylori. The researchers concluded that the friendly flora can “restore immune function of mucosal membrane during symptomatic infection with H. pylori.”

Thus we see that friendly flora, in this case various strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, can reduce inappropriate inflammatory immune system signaling while at other times boost needed immune system activity to combat pathogens. This is selective intelligence from foreign bacteria and is fascinating, to say the least.