Food Matters Live Podcast 597: Food innovation and immune health
Feb 16, 2026
Dr. Jana van Diepen, immunity and metabolic health researcher focused on early-life biotics. Dr. Berbe Vliegboerstra, allergy specialist studying ultra-processed foods and barrier health. Professor Johan Garsen, pharmacology chair exploring dietary interventions and immune resilience. They discuss gut immunity, the 1,000-day window, pre/pro/postbiotics, ultra-processed food links to allergy, and microbiome-targeted nutrition.
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Epithelial Barrier Damage Explains Many Chronic Immune Diseases
- The epithelial barrier theory links environmental/food-derived toxicants to barrier disruption, dysbiosis and immune-driven chronic disease.
- Vliegboerstra described how additives, emulsifiers and novel industrial substances damage gut, lung and skin barriers triggering inflammation.
Avoid Foods With Unrecognizable Ingredient Lists
- Avoid foods with long, unrecognisable ingredient lists to reduce UPF exposure.
- Vliegboerstra suggested using Chris Tolican's simple rule: if you can't buy an ingredient in a supermarket, it's likely ultra-processed.
Population Studies Link UPFs To Allergies And Inflammation
- Observational studies link higher UPF intake to increased inflammatory markers and allergy outcomes in children and mothers.
- Vliegboerstra cited associations: maternal sugar intake with child asthma, commercial baby foods with food allergy, and emulsifiers with gut disruption.