<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A new Australian study has revealed just two days of high-fat meals can disrupt gut health, triggering "hidden" inflammation well before any physical symptoms appear.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Researchers at Melbourne's WEHI, formerly known as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, found these hidden changes could build up over time, potentially fuelling chronic inflammatory diseases that emerge years later.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Eating only two days of high-fat food depleted a key protein that protects the gut, known as  IL-22, the study revealed.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/joe-biden-diagnosed-with-aggressive-prostate-cancer/e9ddc669-72e2-458c-9f00-8bb4c0e70af4" rel="" target="_blank" title="Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive' form of cancer"><strong><span>Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive' form of cancer</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's now hoped the findings will lead to a shake-up of dietary guidelines to naturally boost gut protection and help people living with chronic inflammatory conditions, such as bowel disease.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dr Cyril Seillet, a senior author on the paper, said the findings show that every meal we consume impacts our gut health.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The more saturated fats we eat, the more inflammation that builds up – gradually weakening our gut defences and increasing our susceptibility to chronic inflammation.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/health/just-two-days-of-eating-fatty-foods-can-cause-hidden-gut-damage/3edb7d15-73be-4351-ae7b-10d3ba344c13" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But this inflammation build-up is initially silent, remaining hidden in our bodies until years later, where it can present as chronic inflammation."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>About one-third of Australians live with chronic inflammatory disease, such as coeliac disease and rheumatoid arthritis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/california-fertility-clinic-explosion-attacker-identified-us/92fb8e4e-c32d-4e0c-bf79-a4a5c23fa14d" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Man who bombed US fertility clinic 'anti pro-life', FBI says</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But how this inflammation is triggered and causes disease remains largely unknown.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The new study, published in the journal </span><em><span>Immunity</span></em><span>, highlighted short-term exposure to high-fat diets sparked inflammation in mice as well as limiting their bodies' capacity to resist it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>First author on the paper, Le Xiong, said high-fat diets were a "double hit" to our gut barrier because they not only promoted inflammation, but also disabled the body's ability to fight it.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/02/07/10/32/the-healthiest-states-and-territories-to-live-in-revealed"><img alt="A newly published study has revealed the healthiest places in Australia to live in." sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/ieE_cqhcMYywYQVYjWmQfKK3yds=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fbf52db2a-41ec-4710-8ba2-86bd89698a72" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/ieE_cqhcMYywYQVYjWmQfKK3yds=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fbf52db2a-41ec-4710-8ba2-86bd89698a72 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/bey7JUynsY0urGSid9UlFAuA6bc=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fbf52db2a-41ec-4710-8ba2-86bd89698a72 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">The healthiest places to live in Australia revealed</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/02/07/10/32/the-healthiest-states-and-territories-to-live-in-revealed">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"IL-22 is a critically important protein for gut health and protection. Without it, the gut loses its ability to prevent inflammation," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Encouragingly, the researchers found consuming food high in unsaturated fat - such as nuts and avocadoes - improved the protein's production, strengthening the gut's resistance to disease. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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