Healthy plant foods may worsen inflammation - scientists
A study by scientists from the University of North Carolina showed that oxalate, found in spinach, beets, almonds and sweet potato, may worsen intestinal inflammation. In people with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the ability to excrete oxalate is impaired due to reduced activity of the transport proteins SLC26A2 and SLC26A3. Experiments in mice confirmed that oxalate intensifies inflammation and lowers survival. The authors do not recommend giving up healthy foods, but point to the need for further research.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina have found that oxalate - a natural compound found in spinach, beets, rhubarb, almonds and sweet potato - may worsen intestinal inflammation. In the work, reported by Science Alert, the scientists studied the diet and stool samples of 46 participants, including people with Crohn's disease. In patients with Crohn's disease, oxalate concentrations in stool were higher despite comparable consumption of plant foods. Tissue analysis showed that in people with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, the activity of the genes responsible for the transport proteins SLC26A2 and SLC26A3 is lower than in healthy people. Experiments on mice with artificially induced inflammation confirmed: animals that received more oxalate lost more weight, were ill longer and had lower survival. Oxalate also intensified the inflammatory response of immune cells. An additional analysis of 131 patients with Crohn's disease revealed a link between low activity of the SLC26A6 protein and a more severe course of the disease. The authors stress that the results are not grounds for giving up foods containing oxalate, but open prospects for developing therapy aimed at enhancing its excretion.