- The health of the liver is closely related to the state of the gut and gut microbiota.
- According to the expert, the liver, intestine and microbiota form the so-called golden triangle.
- Diet and lifestyle significantly affect the composition of intestinal bacteria.
- Incorrect habits can lead to pro-inflammatory conditions and civilization diseases.
The health of the liver is closely related to the condition of the intestine and the composition of bacteria in the digestive tract. Hepatologist Marián Oltman from the Thalion gastroentero-hepatology center drew attention to this. He pointed out the connection between the liver, the intestine and the gut microbiota, which he called the “golden triangle”.
“The liver is our main detoxifying and metabolic organ. Everything we eat has to be processed, and everything absorbed from the digestive tract goes through the liver.” Oltman explained. However, according to him, the intestinal mucosa and the immune system also play an important role, which are involved in maintaining the balance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
The hepatologist recalled that diet and lifestyle directly affect the composition of intestinal bacteria. “We also decide whether there are beneficial or harmful bacteria in the intestine and whether their composition is correct by how we live and what we eat,” stated. According to him, changes in the diet can support a favorable composition of the microbiota, while an excess of calories, sugar or fat and a lack of fiber have the opposite effect.
Oltman pointed out that with incorrect habits, the balance of the mucosal immune system in the intestine and subsequently also in the liver can be disturbed. The result can be a chronic pro-inflammatory state that is associated with civilization diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes or fatty liver.. “When that reactivity shifts towards pro-inflammatory mechanisms, atherosclerosis accelerates, diabetes appears, and inflammation of the liver and even cirrhosis can develop,” he added.
According to the hepatologist on the composition of the microbiota also changes in connection with being overweight. According to him, people with obesity have a different population of the intestine than people of normal weight, as well as those who have a low fiber diet or, conversely, a high intake of sugar or fat. “Bacteria reproduce in the intestine, which suit the given composition of the diet,” he clarified.
As he added, instead of short-term “miracle” solutions, long-term lifestyle modification is important. “Food is both your medicine and your poison” noted that changes in diet and physical activity can support the functioning of the entire “golden triangle”.
