Tryptophan in turkey meat helps to control the symptoms of celiac disease

Sunday, 13 December 2020 / Published in Nutrition
Tryptophan in turkey meat helps to control the symptoms of celiac disease

Tryptophan is an amino acid present in high amounts in turkey meat, along with some probiotics, can help people with celiac disease to better respond to a gluten-free diet.
The results of the study highlighted the potential therapeutic value of targeting the metabolism of tryptophan in the intestine in celiac disease to better control the symptoms and accelerate intestinal healing.
Tryptophan is necessary for many body functions and can be broken down by bacteria in the gut, producing bioactive molecules (called "metabolites") that interact with receptors in the intestinal lining that control inflammation.
One of these receptors is the aryl hydrocarbon receptor or Ahr and the non-optimal activation of this receptor has been implicated in chronic intestinal inflammation, including inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
The researchers studied three groups: patients with active coeliac disease, patients two years after a gluten-free diet and healthy people.
Celiac patients had evidence of lower bacterial metabolism of tryptophan and their gut microbiota did not adequately stimulate the Ahr pathway which controls inflammation and protects the intestinal barrier.
These alterations have been partially improved in patients after two years of gluten-free diet. 
Future clinical studies would examine therapeutic strategies, such as the integration of tryptophan in combination with specific probiotics that produce Ahr ligands from the diet, in celiac patients who do not respond to the gluten-free diet.

Source: Mcmaster University

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