Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro Training every day can activate the gut microbiome and increase a substance that helps the immune system fight tumors
Regular physical activity doesn’t just benefit your heart, weight, or mood. Today, science tells us something even more surprising: moving your body can teach your gut bacteria to fight cancer. A study published in the journal Cell has identified a molecule produced in the gut during physical activity, called formate, which appears to have a direct effect in boosting the immune response against tumors.
This discovery opens a completely new path: physical exercise could become an active part of cancer treatment, not just as general support, but as a genuine therapeutic tool. It all starts with a simple gesture within everyone’s reach: moving your body every day.
The formate molecule
It’s not news that people who exercise regularly live better and get sick less often. But now we also know why movement can help the body defend itself against tumors. The answer lies in our microbiome, the collection of billions of microorganisms living in our intestines. These bacteria aren’t there by chance: they produce substances that influence our well-being, digestion, mood and—as this new research demonstrates—the functioning of our immune system.
When we exercise, our microbiome changes. And among the many molecules that gut bacteria begin to produce, one in particular has caught researchers’ attention: formate. This small molecule appears to directly stimulate the strongest immune cells, those that recognize and attack tumor cells.
But the most important news is that formate makes immunotherapies more effective. Immunotherapies are treatments that help the body recognize tumors and fight them from within, but unfortunately they don’t work for everyone. According to collected data, those with higher levels of formate in their blood respond better and longer to these treatments.
Training to heal
This discovery changes how we look at physical activity. No longer just a “duty” to stay in shape, but a concrete action to activate our internal allies, the good gut bacteria, and to strengthen the body’s natural defenses.
And you don’t need extreme sports: daily walks, cycling, yoga or any activity that stimulates the body are enough. Every movement can help the microbiome produce more formate, and therefore create an internal environment more resistant to disease.
Another fascinating aspect concerns the role of the microbiome in fecal transplants, a technique already being tested to strengthen the immune response in cancer patients. The new research suggests that it’s not just important which bacteria are present, but especially which molecules they produce, such as formate. Understanding this could help doctors identify the most effective “super donors” for these therapies.
In the future, we might even prescribe personalized physical activity programs as an integral part of cancer therapies. Or imagine formate-based supplements for those who can’t move enough. The direction is clear: the gut and movement will be increasingly central to the medicine of the future.
Source: Cell
