In recent years, methods for maintaining and improving health via the intestines are getting a lot of attention. The intestines are the organs that regulate digestion and absorption of food, and they are also a vital organ for immunity, with over half of immune cells present in and around the intestines. Cooking oils absorbed by the intestines are used as energy sources and materials for repairing cell membranes. These compounds also affect a variety of bodily functions, including the immune system, through fat metabolism conversions. In addition, there are more bacteria in the intestinal tract than the number of cells that make up the human body, and although these bacteria are known to be involved in the maintenance and improvement of health, recent research has shown that ingested oils are metabolized by intestinal bacteria prior to being absorbed, and the resulting metabolites affect physiological functions. This means that the lipid environment in the intestinal tract changes depending on the types of oil consumed and the types intestinal bacteria present. This affects local immune function in the intestinal tract and other tissues, and it also seems to be linked to lifestyle diseases previously thought to be unrelated to immunity.
We are currently at work on research which will clarify the immunoregulation roles of essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6, as well as other lipids, and apply this knowledge to the development of functional food, new drugs, and other products. In addition, we have constructed an analysis platform using the large volumes of data related to attributes such as diet, intestinal bacteria, metabolites, and health status acquired mainly from cohort studies started up by the National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition and are currently carrying out next-generation reverse translational research to hypothesize and prove new operational mechanisms using the findings of this analysis platform. These studies may be able to discover ways to improve our health through the relationships between fat-centered meals and intestinal bacteria in the near future. Moving forward, I hope to further expand our work, including development of methods for implementing our findings in society.
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