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Introduction
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder stimulated by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found naturally in wheat, barley and rye. The condition affects approximately 1% of the Western world. However, currently the only approved treatment for coeliac disease is adherence to a gluten-free diet for life.
Therefore there is much research underway to develop alternative treatment options that may help these patients. One novel antigen-focused therapy that has been hypothesised is the use of plant bioactives.
Specifially, in vitro work by Dr. Charlene Van Buiten has looked as whether there is a mechanism by which polyphenols from green tea could be of benefit. Her work shows that these polyphenols can mitigate gliadin-mediated inflammation and intestinal permeability in vitro.
Related resources
- [05:36]Overview of coeliac disease
- [09:27]Zonulin and its relationship with gluten
- [11:58]Mechanisms by which polyphenols could help
- [18:42]Dr. Van Buiten’s in vitro trials
- [27:22]Next steps/what to look at going forward
- [36:47]Key ideas
Guest Information
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Her research focuses on the biochemical functionality of plant-based foods in treating chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and how processing techniques can be used to enhance their health benefits.
Before joining the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at CSU in 2019, Dr. Van Buiten spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at Rutgers University in Dr. Ilya Raskin’s Plant Biology lab. In this position funded by the National Institute of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Dr. Van Buiten studied pre-absorptive benefits of poorly bioavailable dietary compounds and elucidated their function in the treatment of metabolic syndrome.
Dr. Van Buiten earned her PhD in Food Science at Pennsylvania State University under the mentorship of Dr. Ryan Elias. During her time at Penn State, she began her ongoing project elucidating mechanisms by which polyphenols confer protection to the GI tract within the context of celiac disease.
Danny Lennon has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, and he is the founder of Sigma Nutrition.
Danny is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Sports Nutrition Association, the global regulatory body responsible for the standardisation of best practice in the sports nutrition profession.
Key Ideas
Danny’s Key Idea from this episode is noting how mechanistic nutrition research should be discussed.
Often on the podcast we’ve discussed that one of the common tactics of “quackery” is for someone to make a bold claim about human health (or give direct recommendations), and then when asked for evidence for such a position, they point to mechanistic or animal research. It is common to see mechanisms used as an explanation for their recommendation (whether that’s eating/avoiding certain foods, fasting, etc.) even if that isn’t supported by human trials, and sometimes even contradicted by human trials. One example is people who talk about linoleic acid/PUFA/omega-6/seed oils/etc. as poison capable of slowly killing you. Such arguments are based on mechanisms, not human trials with clear health outcomes.
However, this doesn’t invalidate mechanistic research. In fact, it is absolutely crucial to add knowledge and generate further hypotheses.
One form of mechanistic research in humans is done via in vitro studies. An in vitro (literally “within glass”) study is one carried out outside of a living organism. Hence, they are typically done in petri dishes or other lab equipment (and thus the name). This is really useful, as the effect of certain nutrients or other compounds can be examined to see how they impact cells, tissues, and specfic pathways in them.