Positive Health Online

Abstract

RICCIO and ROSSANO, 1 Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy. paoloxriccio@gmail.com 2 Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, Viale dell'Ateneo Lucano, 10, 85100, Potenza, Italy studied the proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects of food components and their influence upon human metabolism and composition of gut microbiota in multiple sclerosis.

Background

Central to the understanding of the relationships between diet, gut microbiota, and vitamins D and A in multiple sclerosis is low-grade inflammation, which is involved in all chronic inflammatory diseases and is influenced by each of the above effectors.

Methodology

We show that food components have either proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory effects and influence both the human metabolism (the "metabolome") and the composition of gut microbiota.

Results

Hypercaloric, high-animal-fat Western diets favour anabolism and change gut microbiota composition towards dysbiosis. Subsequent intestinal inflammation leads to leakage of the gut barrier, disruption of the blood-brain barrier, and neuroinflammation. Conversely, a vegetarian diet, rich in fibre, is coherent with gut eubiotics and a healthy condition. Vitamin D levels, mainly insufficient in a persistent low-grade inflammatory status, can be restored to optimal values only by the administration of high amounts of cholecalciferol. At its optimal values (>30 ng/ml), vitamin D requires vitamin A for the binding to the vitamin D receptor and exerts its anti-inflammatory action. Both vitamins must be supplied to the subjects lacking vitamin D.

Conclusion

We conclude that nutrients, including the non-digestible dietary fibres, have a leading role in tackling the low-grade inflammation associated with chronic inflammatory diseases. Their action is mediated by gut microbiota and any microbial change induced by diet modifies host-microbe interactions in a consequent way, to improve the disease or worsen it.

References

Paolo Riccio  1 , Rocco Rossano  2. Diet, Gut Microbiota, and Vitamins D + A in Multiple Sclerosis Neurotherapeutics.;15(1):75-91.  doi: 10.1007/s13311-017-0581-4. Jan 2018.