Protect your stomach with lettuce

• May 16, 2024

How to protect the stomach? A study of Institute of Medical Research Melbourne , in Australia, suggests that consumption of green leafy vegetables such as lettuce protects your stomach from diseases such as cancer.

In the research published in the magazine Nature Immunology It is detailed that this type of plant stimulates the production of immune cells, called innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which are found in the lining of the digestive system.

The function of these cells is to protect the body from "bad" bacteria found in the intestine; In addition, they play an important role in the control of food allergies, inflammatory diseases, obesity and intestinal cancer.

The doctors Gabrielle Belz, Lucie Rankin, Joanna Grrom and other colleagues at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute They detail the T-bet gene is essential for the production of these immune cells and maintain an adequate response to the stimuli generated by the food we consume.

"T-bet is the key gene that instructs precursor cells to become ILCs as a response to signals emitted by the food eaten and the bacteria present in the intestine," says Belz.

Proteins found in green leafy or cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and lettuce interact with surface receptors that activate T-bet and may be key in the production of ILCs.

The ILCs produce a hormone called interleukin 22 (IL-22) that helps repair the epithelium, or set of cells lining the intestine.

The researcher details that without the T-bet gene, the body is more susceptible to bacterial infections that enter the body through the digestive system.

Immune cells help maintain a healthy environment in the intestine by promoting the development of good bacteria and the healing of wounds in the tissues.

Do not forget that before eating any vegetable or vegetable you should wash it well and disinfect it to prevent the development of gastrointestinal diseases. And you, how many times a week do you consume green leafy foods?

Video Medicine: Can lettuce upset your stomach ? | Better Health Channel (May 2024).