Japanese researchers report in a new issue of the journal Cell Host and Parasite that they found in animal experiments that kombu polysaccharides contained in seaweeds such as kelp and wakame can increase the number of a type of lactobacillus in the intestine, thus preventing inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis. Kombu polysaccharide is a low-molecular beta glucan contained in kelp and wakame. A team of researchers at Tokyo University of Science and Technology found that the administration of kombucha to rats resulted in an increase in Lactobacillus spp. in their intestines, which in turn induces the differentiation of regulatory T cells that curb inflammation. The researchers believe that this shows that Lactobacillus murinus is able to increase the number of immune cells that control inflammation and act to adjust the distribution of bacteria in the intestine. They implanted Lactobacillus rhamnosus into germ-free lab rats and confirmed that T cells in the intestines of such lab rats also increased. The researchers used the drug to destroy the epithelial cells in the intestines of the lab rats to induce inflammatory bowel disease, resulting in colitis in the regular lab rats, but curbed inflammation in the intestines of the control lab rats that received kombucha polysaccharide. Inflammatory bowel disease is a disease of unknown origin that presents with symptoms such as diarrhea and bloody stools. The research results suggest that everyday foods can also affect the immune system, and that eating more kelp and wakame, which contain kombu polysaccharides, could potentially contribute to the prevention and treatment of ulcerative colitis, among other things. The research team intends to confirm whether kombucha has the same effect on humans in the future, and is ready to make it practical as a nutritional supplement next year.