Integrative medicine and human health - the role of pre-, pro- and synbiotics

Western lifestyle is associated with a sustained low grade increase in inflammation -increased levels of endotoxin in the body and increased activation of Toll-like receptors and neutrophils, which leads to impaired immunity and reduced resistance to disease, changes which might explain the epidemic of chronic diseases spreading around the globe. The immune system cannot function properly without access to bacteria and raw plants, rich not only in bacteria but also in plant fibre, antioxidants, healthy fats and numerous other nutrients. Modern food technology with plant breeding, separation, condensation of food ingredients, heating, freezing, drying, irradiation, microwaving, are effective tool to counteract optimal immune function, and suspected to be a leading cause of so called Western diseases. Supply of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics have sometimes proved to be effective tools to counteract, especially acute diseases, but have often failed, especially in chronic diseases. Thousands of factors contribute to unhealth and numerous alterations in life style and food habits are often needed, in order to prevent and cure “treatment-resistant” chronic diseases. Such alterations include avoiding processed foods rich in pro-inflammatory molecules, but also a focus on consuming substantial amounts of foods with documented anti-inflammatory effects, often raw and fresh green vegetables and tubers such as turmeric/curcumin

Prebiotici, probiotici, sinbiotici i ljudsko zdravlje

Western lifestyle is associated with a sustained low grade increase in inflammation leading to an impaired innate immunity and reduced resistance to disease, changes which might explain the epidemic of chronic diseases spreading around the globe. The immune system cannot function properly without access to bacteria and plants, which when raw, are rich not only in bacteria but also in plant fibres, antioxidants, healthy fats and numerous other nutrients. Modern food technology with plant breeding, separation, condensation of food ingredients, heating, freezing, drying, irradiation, microwaving, an effective tool for destroying foods and hereby counteracting optimal immune function, is suspected to be a leading cause of so-called Western diseases. The supply of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics has sometimes proved to be effective tool to counteract, especially acute diseases, but has often failed, especially in chronic diseases. Thousands of factors contribute to unhealthy living. Numerous alterations in lifestyle and food habits are needed, if to prevent and cure \u27treatment-resistant\u27 chronic diseases. Among these are avoiding such processed foods that are known to be rich in pro-inflammatory molecules, and also eating substantial amounts of foods with documented anti-inflammatory effects such as turmeric/curcumin, molecules which might be included in future synbiotic compositions.Zapadnjački je način života povezan sa stalnim blagim porastom upalnih procesa, što uzrokuje slabljenje nespecifičnog imuniteta i smanjuje otpornost na bolesti. Time se može objasniti širenje „epidemije” kroničnih bolesti u svijetu. Imunološki sustav ne može funkcionirati bez unosa bakterija i biljaka, koje u svježem stanju obiluju bakterijama, dijetalnim vlaknima, antioksidansima, zdravim masnoćama i brojnim drugim hranjivim tvarima. Suvremene tehnologije proizvodnje, poput križanja biljaka, izdvajanja i koncentriranja hranjivih sastojaka, zagrijavanja, zamrzavanja, sušenja i zračenja hrane te njezina izlaganja mikrovalovima, uništavaju hranjive sastojke i narušavaju optimalni imunološki sustav, pa se misli da je to glavni razlog nastanka tzv. zapadnjačkih bolesti. Unos prebiotika, probiotika i sinbiotika može učinkovito spriječiti razvoj akutnih, ali ne i kroničnih bolesti. Tisuće čimbenika pridonose nezdravom načinu života. Da bi se spriječile kronične bolesti, potrebno je potpuno promijeniti način života i prehrambene navike. Treba izbjegavati prerađenu hranu bogatu molekulama koje uzrokuju upale i konzumirati onu koja ima protuupalno djelovanje, poput kurkume, čije se molekule mogu uklopiti u sinbiotičke pripravke

The role of hepatic fat accumulation in pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is increasingly regarded as a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, and the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease seems to increase in parallel with other features of metabolic syndrome. Excess lipid accumulation in the liver cells is not only a mediator of Metabolic Syndrome and indicator of a lipid overload but also accompanied by a range of histological alterations varying from 'simple' steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, with time progressing to manifest cirrhosis. Hepatocellular carcinoma may also occur in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis -related cirrhosis with a mortality rate similar to or worse than for cirrhosis associated with hepatitis C. This review summarizes the knowledge about the causal relationship between hepatic fat accumulation, insulin resistance, liver damage and the etiological role of hepatic fat accumulation in pathogenesis of extra- and intra-hepatic manifestations. Special emphasis is given suggestions of new targets treatment and prevention of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Implantable Drainage After Major Abdominal Surgery in Compromised Patients

The risk of superinfection following routine abdominal drainage after major surgery is debated. Especially in patients with malignant diseases and a compromised host defense, this might be a factor increasing morbidity and mortality. During a 3-year period (1986–1988) 41 patients operated on for malignant abdominal conditions received a peritoneal catheter connected to a subcutaneous portal inserted in order to participate in a trial on postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy using 5- Fluorouracil. No abdominal drains were inserted. In 15 patients, the subcutaneous portal was used for evacuation of postoperative fluid accumulation within the abdomen. The mean age was 53 (range 41–70) years. Inserted catheters were used for drainage up to 14 days postoperatively. The daily amount of fluid drained varied from 20 to 2 000 ml with a mean of 610 ml/patient and day. One patient required removal of the catheter due to infection around the subcutaneous chamber. Otherwise, the catheter system was not associated with any other complications or complaints. One patient developed a postoperative left subphrenic abscess drained percutaneously by the guidance of ultrasonography, a complication that could not be attributed to the catheter system but merely to the major operation per se. An implantable device for peritoneal access thus also seem useful for drainage of postoperative fluid collection, as evaluated in this preliminary report

Pro- and Synbiotics to Prevent Sepsis in Major Surgery and Severe Emergencies

Septic morbidity associated with advanced surgical and medical treatments is unacceptably high, and so is the incidence of complications occurring in connection with acute emergencies such as severe trauma and severe acute pancreatitis. Only considering the US, it will annually affect approximately (app) 300 million (mill) of a population of almost one million inhabitants and cause the death of more than 200,000 patients, making sepsis the tenth most common cause of death in the US. Two major factors affect this, the lifestyle-associated increased weakness of the immune defense systems, but more than this the artificial environment associated with modern treatments such as mechanical ventilation, use of tubes, drains, intravascular lines, artificial nutrition and extensive use of synthetic chemical drugs, methods all known to reduce or eliminate the human microbiota and impair immune functions and increase systemic inflammation. Attempts to recondition the gut by the supply of microorganisms have sometimes shown remarkably good results, but too often failed. Many factors contribute to the lack of success: unsuitable choice of probiotic species, too low dose, but most importantly, this bio-ecological treatment has never been given the opportunity to be tried as an alternative treatment. Instead it has most often been applied as complementary to all the other treatments mentioned above, including antibiotic treatment. The supplemented lactic acid bacteria have most often been killed already before they have reached their targeted organs

Effect of Probiotic Bacteria on Microbial Host Defense, Growth, and Immune Function in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Infection

The hypothesis that probiotic administration protects the gut surface and could delay progression of Human Immunodeficiency Virus type1 (HIV-1) infection to the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was proposed in 1995. Over the last five years, new studies have clarified the significance of HIV-1 infection of the gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) for subsequent alterations in the microflora and breakdown of the gut mucosal barrier leading to pathogenesis and development of AIDS. Current studies show that loss of gut CD4+ Th17 cells, which differentiate in response to normal microflora, occurs early in HIV-1 disease. Microbial translocation and suppression of the T regulatory (Treg) cell response is associated with chronic immune activation and inflammation. Combinations of probiotic bacteria which upregulate Treg activation have shown promise in suppressing pro inflammatory immune response in models of autoimmunity including inflammatory bowel disease and provide a rationale for use of probiotics in HIV-1/AIDS. Disturbance of the microbiota early in HIV-1 infection leads to greater dominance of potential pathogens, reducing levels of bifidobacteria and lactobacillus species and increasing mucosal inflammation. The interaction of chronic or recurrent infections, and immune activation contributes to nutritional deficiencies that have lasting consequences especially in the HIV-1 infected child. While effective anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has enhanced survival, wasting is still an independent predictor of survival and a major presenting symptom. Congenital exposure to HIV-1 is a risk factor for growth delay in both infected and non-infected infants. Nutritional intervention after 6 months of age appears to be largely ineffective. A meta analysis of randomized, controlled clinical trials of infant formulae supplemented with Bifidobacterium lactis showed that weight gain was significantly greater in infants who received B. lactis compared to formula alone. Pilot studies have shown that probiotic bacteria given as a supplement have improved growth and protected against loss of CD4+ T cells. The recognition that normal bacterial flora prime neonatal immune response and that abnormal flora have a profound impact on metabolism has generated insight into potential mechanisms of gut dysfunction in many settings including HIV-1 infection. As discussed here, current and emerging studies support the concept that probiotic bacteria can provide specific benefit in HIV-1 infection. Probiotic bacteria have proven active against bacterial vaginosis in HIV-1 positive women and have enhanced growth in infants with congenital HIV-1 infection. Probiotic bacteria may stabilize CD4+ T cell numbers in HIV-1 infected children and are likely to have protective effects against inflammation and chronic immune activation of the gastrointestinal immune system

Modulation by enteral nutrition of the acute phase response and immune functions Regulación de la respuesta de fase aguda y de las funciones inmunitarias mediante nutrición enteral

To use nutrition in order to limit the negative consequences of physical and mental stress is not new. Recent advances in immunology and particularly in the understanding of the chemical language used to communicate both by eukarytic and prokarotic cells has made it easier to objectively evaluate effects of various immunomodulating efforts including the use of nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants in preventing or limiting the development of disease and its late consequences.El empleo de la nutrición para limitar las consecuencias negativas del estrés físico y mental no es nuevo. Los últimos avances introducidos en la inmunología y, en especial, el conocimiento del lenguaje químico empleado por las células eucariotas y procariotas para comunicarse han permitido evaluar con objetividad los distintos esfuerzos de regulación inmunitaria, incluido el empleo de nutrientes, vitaminas y antioxidantes para prevenir o limitar la aparición de enfermedades y sus consecuencias