Like our hot topic nitric oxide, which behaves either favorably to the body and or not depending on circumstances, amount, etc., scientists have now discovered among the 1000 other bacteria species living in the human stomach a molecule that can both promote and protect from inflammation in the gut.

Some researchers suspect that an upset in the fine-tuned balance of the stomach’s ecosystem may be responsible for recent increases in asthma and food allergies. And I can get with that idea because the food additives, pesticides, Teflon-scrapings and so on that we’re all now regularly ingesting with our food are bound to be creating havoc down there.

But back to the molecule. Seems it (a sugar molecule called polysaccharide A – “PSA”) interacts naturally with immune cells (interleukins) to prevent inflammation–and it can actually be introduced to heal and restore immune system balance. Well, at least in mice so far. And it’s the first study to show a definitive link between beneficial molecules from the stomach and healing. And like the Rainforest, it is the next frontier for discovering new drugs and treatments.

This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. If we have finally stumbled onto the power of stem cells, it makes perfect sense that we ought to be discovering how the rest of our body parts and systems can heal themselves. How many times have we heard–“You have all you need within you”–and dismissed it as fluff?