Keeping the mucus layer healthy and robust is a major
mechanism through which we can minimize inflammation in
the body and, likely, the brain. While the science around
this is new and evolving, one surefire strategy is to ensure a
steady flow of dietary prebiotic fiber. This fiber feeds the
microbes that supply butyrate, which actually feeds the cells
that create the mucus, thus reinforcing its protective
abilities.^33 Conversely, a low-fiber diet starves our gut
bacteria, forcing them to actually consume the mucosal layer
out of desperation.
“BUT I’M NOT A MOUSE!”
Whenever one discusses early-stage research, inevitably
conducted in animals prior to humans or when human
studies are unethical or impractical, there is always the
question of how well it would apply to humans in the real
world. A perfect example of this paradox is that Alzheimer’s
disease has been cured in mice many times over, and yet the
results have never translated to human trials. The truth is
that mice don’t get Alzheimer’s disease in the wild, and
scientists in these cases are working with an artificially
induced Alzheimer’s disease model–an imperfect
simulation.
On the other hand, basic cellular mechanisms are highly
conserved by evolution, meaning that they differ minimally
across species. The more basic the process, the further away
from humans we can go and still see an accurate result. We