India, May 23 -- If you thought having 'cheat meals' will take months or years to affect your gut, think again. A new study reported that a weekend of high-fatty foods can disable the immune cells that protect your body's intestinal carrier. The study, led by author Cyril Seillet from The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Australia, studied mice that were fed different kinds of meals to understand the impact of fatty foods on their gut. Some were fed chow, while others ate food with 36% or 60% fat content. It was seen that after a few days of high-fat food consumption, their gut health were damaged. Cyril said, "The more saturated fats we eat, the more inflammation builds up. This build-up is initially silent, remaining hidden in our bodies until years later, where it can present as chronic inflammation." Consuming a high fat diet suppresses immune cells called ILC3s, which produces a protective substance called interleukin-22. This maintains the intestinal barrier by producing antimicrobial peptides, mucus, and tight-junction proteins. This prevents harmful bacteria from getting inside the bloodstream. When IL-22 production is suppressed by high fat diet consumption, the gut becomes permeable, and is called as leaky gut. The study explained why people experience digestive discomfort after having a high-fat meal. This is also why Mediterranean diets rich in olive oil and other sources of unsaturated fats have long-term health benefits for gut health and can lower inflammation....