From what I have read, essentially immune cells (T cells and so on) have internal stores of both serotonin and dopamine and they can produce and release them in response to food, bacteria and so on. The cells use these chemicals to signal other cells into action and the others follow this chemical gradient to the site of concern, be it a cut, or an ulcer, a particular strain of bacteria it doesn't like etc...
Producing and releasing as well as intake of these hormones is how the body regulates and controls inflammation as the body is always in a constant state of inflammation (healthy or unhealthy). The difference being that to much of one or the other can cause excessive inflammation and so on and set off a bit of a chain reaction of bad things... the balance of these chemicals determines not only what the body responds to, but more so how aggressive it responds to it. So if something has gone wonky with these hormones not only does inflammation increase but certain triggers for this response change as well - like bacteria that is normally friendly and illicits a minor or tollerable/acceptable response, can all of a sudden illicit a dramatic response. So the body starts attacking what's normally tolerable. This then has the ability to alter the make-up or balance of bacteria. Food (and the chemicals and compounds found in food) sort of work the very same way the body releases these to the epithelial cells in response to pressure (from the food itself pressing against the wall of the intestine) and in response to the type or make-up of food and this effects the motility of the gut and how fast or slow things move through your digestive system.
Anyway... there's a ton of information on all this. Just not a lot of people (researchers) seem to be interested in it. They seem to focus on the downstream effects like TNF-a not the upstream like the master regulators of inflammation such as dompanine and serotonin and neurotransmitters.
I've said before many times that I honestly think this goofy Amino Acid therapy makes a ton of sense as a way to re-balance this reaction and regulate the immune system or inflammation - but that I think the people behind it just stumbled ass backwards on a way to do this and are still somewhat in the midst of trying to figure it all out. So more like a very preliminary treatment option.
It seems that at the moment it's quite the frustrating, time consuming and expensive treatment option, but in the end it may just work... Just no one has gotten to the end yet. Myself being 7 months into it.
Anyway I can at least confirm that this treatment totally effects inflammation... I find what you just posted very interesting because I was just thinking how much this treatment reminds me of when I was on remicade - minus all the crazy side effects.
Post Edited (Canada Mark) : 8/16/2013 8:23:08 AM (GMT-6)