A diet high in guar gum fiber can limit inflammation and multiple sclerosis symptoms in mice

According to recent research by members of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), a diet rich in guar gum (a common food additive and dietary fiber) can limit inflammation and delay the onset
of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in mice.

Dr Lisa Osborne, senior researcher at the study and assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at UBC, said: "The rapid increase in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases in industrialized countries over the past few decades suggests that dietary choices are an environmental factor
contributing to morbidity.

"Dietary fiber is an effective regulator of the immune response and can control inflammation in a variety of diseases, but they are a family with a very diverse biochemical
composition.

Dr.

Guar guar gum is extracted from guar beans and is often used as an additive to thicken and stabilize food and animal feed, and is applied industrially
.

"Guar beans are not common in Western diets, and in the West, the amount of this chewing gum as an additive is not so high," said
Naomi Fettig, the study's first author and doctoral student in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of British Columbia.

"Experts have always said that fiber is good for you — various sources of fiber are important for immune health — but there's no very important work
on determining how your body responds to different fiber types.

In the United States and Canada, the average daily intake of fiber is 15 grams, while the current recommended intake is twice as high as 30 grams
.

After chewing gum was broken down by the microbiota of mice, the molecules produced appeared to reduce the activity and proliferation of a type of CD4+ T cell (Th1 cell), which plays a key role
in activating the autoimmune response.

Dr.

essay

Inhibition of Th1 activation and differentiation by dietary guar gum ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis