Invisible helpers: How probiotic bacteria protect against inflammatory bowel diseases
Friday, April 27, 2012 - 03:00
in Health & Medicine
Green indicates the presence of inflammatory messenger substances (chemokines) in the bowel tissue. Yoghurt has been valued for centuries for its health-promoting effects. These effects are thought to be mediated by the lactic acid bacteria typically contained in yoghurt. Evidence from recent scientific studies show that some bacterial strains actually have a probiotic effect and can thus prevent disease. A team of biologists and nutrition scientists working with Prof. Dirk Haller from the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) has now discovered the mechanisms at work behind this protective effect (Cell Host & Microbe).