Mucosal Immunity

🦷 Your Mouth: More Than a Smile—It’s a Microbial Powerhouse 😁

Did you know your oral microbiome is home to over 700 species of bacteria—and it’s not just about cavities or fresh breath?

This complex ecosystem:
• Regulates inflammation throughout the body: Oral pathogens can enter the bloodstream and trigger chronic low-grade inflammation—a known driver of many modern diseases. For example, chronic gum disease is associated with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, a marker of systemic inflammation.
• Acts as the first line of immune defense: A healthy oral microbiome helps prevent colonization by harmful microbes. When balance is lost, immune dysregulation can occur. Studies show that oral dysbiosis weakens the immune barrier, increasing vulnerability to infection.
• Impacts gut health, brain function, and the cardiovascular system: Swallowed oral bacteria influence the gut microbiome. Fusobacterium nucleatum, for instance, is linked to colorectal cancer. In the brain, P. gingivalis has been found in Alzheimer’s plaques. And in the arteries, oral bacteria contribute to atherosclerosis.

🔬 The problem isn’t the presence of bacteria—it’s the loss of harmony between beneficial and harmful species, known as oral dysbiosis. This imbalance has been linked to:
• Systemic inflammation and chronic diseases
• Increased risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes
• Poor gut health via microbial cross-talk and immune signaling

How to support your oral microbiome?
🚫Avoid aggressive mouthwash (especially those with chlorhexidine)—they wipe out good microbes too
🪥 Brush and floss regularly, but don’t overdo it—balance matters
🫐 Eat fiber-rich, polyphenol-rich foods ( berries, green tea, dark chocolate, extra vergin olive oil, dark leafy greens...)
🍩 Limit refined sugars and alcohol
👃 Breathe through your nose, not your mouth—dryness disrupts microbial balance
🧫 Consider oral probiotics or fermented foods to support microbial diversity

Your oral microbiome isn’t just about a clean mouth—it’s about whole-body health. Support your oral ecosystem, and your whole body will thank you. 🙌
#OralHealth #Microbiome #FunctionalMedicine #ChronicDiseasePrevention #kPNI #IntegrativeHealth #Inflammation

www.savourhealth.nl

The intestinal barrier: a pivotal role in health, inflammation, and cancer

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Lung B cells in ectopic germinal centers undergo affinity maturation

- The lungs are constantly exposed to the external environment and a myriad of antigenic challenges within the air.

- Chronic exposure to allergens and other airborne antigens can result in the formation of mature tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) which can harbor ectopic germinal centers (GCs).

- This study demonstrates that allergen-induced ectopic germinal centers in the lung, although smaller and slower to respond than those in lymph nodes, are capable of somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation contributing to the development of high-affinity B cells.

- Thus the lung can locally diversify B cell responses and supports the generation of tissue memory B cells populations in situ.

- This local generation of immunity could be leveraged via aerosolized vaccines that stimulate lung GC responses that generate memory B cells and protect against respiratory infections.

https://lnkd.in/e4DFuQci

#immunology #immunity #allergy #vaccines #Bcells

Le système immunitaire maternel régule la lactation en différenciant la glande mammaire pendant la grossesse. Une population spécifique de lymphocytes favorise la production et l’éjection du lait, améliorant ainsi la santé des nouveau-nés. Cette découverte met en lumière l’importance du statut immunitaire maternel et ouvre de nouvelles perspectives pour traiter les défis liés à la lactation. L’étude a été menée par une équipe du NIAID (NIH, États-Unis) alors qu’elle était dirigée par le Pr. Yasmine Belkaid, aujourd’hui directrice générale de l’Institut Pasteur (Paris).

#viruses #immunology #medicine #medicalsciences #healthcare
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