A new study by scientists in Japan has discovered that proteins found in foods like meat and milk may help prevent the growth of tumors in the small intestine.
The research, led by Hiroshi Ohno at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, was published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
The findings reveal how these proteins activate the immune system in the small intestine to fight off new tumors.
While food antigens, such as those found in milk and meat, are often viewed negatively because they can cause allergic reactions, this study suggests that they also play a positive role in keeping tumors at bay in the gut.
Antigens are foreign substances that the immune system monitors. Even when they don’t trigger allergies, the immune system still checks them to make sure they’re safe.
Previous research from Ohno’s team showed that food antigens can activate immune cells in the small intestine, though not in the large intestine.
At the same time, some immune cells activated by gut bacteria are known to help stop tumors from growing in the gut. The new study brought these ideas together to test if food antigens could help prevent tumors in the small intestines.
To test this, the researchers used a special group of mice that had a mutated tumor-suppression gene, which made them prone to developing tumors in their intestines, similar to people with a genetic condition called familial adenomatous polyposis.
In the first experiment, the mice were fed either normal food or antigen-free food. The results showed that mice on a normal diet had fewer tumors in their small intestines, but no change in the large intestines.
This suggested that food antigens in normal diets were helping prevent small intestinal tumors.
Next, the scientists added a specific food antigen called albumin—commonly found in meat—into the antigen-free diet. When the mice were given this modified diet, their small intestine tumors were suppressed, just like in the mice eating normal food. This proved that it wasn’t just the nutritional value of the food, but the presence of the antigens that was preventing tumor growth.
Further tests showed that the different diets affected the T cells—immune cells responsible for fighting disease—in the small intestine. Mice that ate an antigen-free diet had fewer T cells than those who ate normal food or a diet with milk protein.
These findings are important for understanding how certain diets impact gut health, especially for people with gastrointestinal conditions like Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome. People on clinical elemental diets, which include only simple amino acids and no proteins, should be cautious, especially if they are at higher risk for small intestinal tumors.
According to Ohno, while small intestinal tumors are less common than colon tumors, those with genetic conditions like familial adenomatous polyposis are at higher risk. The study emphasizes that special diets like elemental diets should only be used with medical advice, as they could interfere with the body’s ability to prevent tumors.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about how ultra-processed foods and red meat influence your longevity, and why seafood may boost healthy aging.
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