Yoptimal, Health Professionals

The beneficial effects of probiotics on immunity

The function of the intestine goes well beyond absorbing essential nutrients. In fact, the digestive tube acts as an intermediary between the exterior and interior of the human body. It is covered with immune cells (called Peyer's patches), which allow it to participate actively in the body's natural defences (3, 6, 12).

Current scientific data suggest that active probiotic cultures have immunomodulatory properties, which improve the endogenous defence system of the host. Active probiotic cultures are capable of modifying several immune parameters, notably by (6, 8, 12):

• improving the protective function of the intestinal barrier (decreased permeability);
  
• launching a specific immune response, which is the result of an interaction between the mononuclear phagocyte and endothelial cells of the host;
  
• producing antimicrobial substances, such as lactic acid or bacteriocins (antimicrobial substances produced by lactic bacteria), or by inducing an intestinal production of mucin (a glycoprotein that is secreted from the mucous glands); and
  
• reducing the inflammatory response (decreased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines).

The underlying mechanisms of the effects of probiotics on immune functions are thought to include the stimulation of mucus production, the activation of macrophages, the stimulation of IgA antigens and neutrophils, and the inhibition of inflammatory cytokines (16).

References