Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, a war is raging on in our bodies and we are totally unaware of it. What are these combatants that are scheming against each other to win ultimate control?
They are the “good guys” who make up our immune system, a network of cells, tissues and organs that bind together to defend, when necessary, against attacks by the “bad guys,” like foreign bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi.
Lifestyle changes we make can affect this war. A group of scientists at the Yale School of Medicine have discovered a chemical that is produced in increased amounts by our bodies when we diet or fast. The chemical, called β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), can block the part of the immune system responsible for some inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis.
Through no fault of our own, conditions in the human body make it an ideal place for foreign microbes to take residence, despite the fact that the “No Vacancy” sign is always lit. But these unwanted gate crashers keep trying, and sometimes they slip through the cracks. This sets the battlefield, and then it’s time to affix the bayonets and begin to defend our territory.
Our immune system is one of the most complex systems in our body and is a true unsung hero. Once exposed to an infectious agent, immune cells can add its identity to a memory bank that adds up to millions of invaders, allowing it to swiftly and precisely attack when a second invasion of the same type occurs, long before they can embrace the favorable conditions and begin multiplying. Sometimes, however, things don’t work out correctly in the highly complex immune system.
Inflammation is the body’s normal response to infections. Infection is the invasion and multiplication of a pathogen within the body, while inflammation is the body’s protective response against infection. Inflammation is a complex process involving various types of immune system cells, clotting proteins and signaling molecules.
Normally, inflammation disappears on its own after the irritation is removed and the body protected. In some conditions, however, inflammation becomes the disease. It begins in the absence of harmful irritations and continues with no resolution. Many people suffer from chronic inflammation because their immune system overreacts and sees its own tissues and cells as invaders. This can lead to an inflammatory disease.
NLRP3 is a group of proteins that drives the inflammatory response in some of the most difficult to treat inflammatory diseases. The chemical that the scientists at Yale discovered, BHB, works to directly inhibit NLRP3.
BHB production is increased in our bodies when we fast, participate in high-intensity exercise regimens, calorie reductions or low-carbohydrate diets. BHB is a normal component in our bodies; the amount significantly increases when we partake in the aforementioned activities. The scientists conducted their research using mice and human immune cells and discovered that macrophages, which are specific immune system cells that trigger inflammation, are affected by this increased level of BHB.
Vishwa Deep Dixit, one of the authors of the study, said that their findings suggest that dieting or fasting produces BHB, which can then lower the NLRP3 inflammasome.
There is increasing evidence to link many normal aging inflammatory processes with diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The findings of these scientists are significant and promising because they can lead to a more effective treatment, cure or even prevention of these difficult-to-treat conditions.
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