GUT MICROBIOME & FIBRE...Can poo help you??
MEET BROOKE PENNY, ONE OF OUR DRIVEN, AND PASSIONATE,
DIETITIANS AT BETTER HEALTH NUTRITION & FITNESS. |
The gut microbiome and fibre The gut microbiome is the complete set of genes of the living micro-organisms found in our gut, most of these being bacteria. Our genetics play a role in what gut microbes are present in our digestive system, however diet, drugs and our shape and size also influence which micro-organism are present. What does our gut microbiome do? Our gut microbiome has many functions, one of which is digesting carbohydrates. Resistant starch, found in foods like chickpeas, unripe bananas and cooked and cooled potatoes, reaches our large intestine undigested where it is broken down by gut micro-organisms to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA). These SCFA have a number of health benefits including keeping our colon healthy, reducing insulin resistance and controlling appetite and satiety. |
WHAT ARE PROBIOTICS AND PREBIOTICS?
PROBIOTICS ARE LIVE BACTERIA AND YEAST (LIKE THOSE FOUND IN THE GUT) THAT ARE PRESENT IN FOOD. IF EATEN IN ADEQUATE AMOUNTS THEY CAN IMPROVE THE BALANCE OF MICRO-ORGANISMS LIVING IN OUR GUT. PROBIOTICS ARE FOUND IN YOGURTS AND OTHER FERMENTED PRODUCTS LIKE KEFIR AND KOMBUCHA.
PREBIOTICS ARE INDIGESTIBLE CARBOHYDRATES (FIBRE) THAT ENTER THE GUT AND ACT AS A FERTILIZER TO ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF “GOOD” BACTERIA. THE EXACT HEALTH BENEFITS OF PREBIOTICS HOWEVER IS STILL UNDER DEBATE.
GUT MICROBIOME AND OBESITY
EMERGING EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THE GUT MICROBIOME MAY PLAY A ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OBESITY. SOME STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE PEOPLE HAVE LESS DIVERSITY IN THEIR GUT MICROBIOME AS WELL AS DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF MICRO-ORGANISMS WHEN COMPARED TO LEAN PEOPLE. IN AN EXCITING NEW AREA OF RESEARCH, IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT A FAECAL TRANSPLANT CAN ALLOW THE GUT MICROBIOTA OF THE RECIPIENT TO MATCH THAT OF THE DONOR. THEREFORE, ALTERING THE GUT MICROBIOTA THROUGH A FAECAL TRANSPLANT MAY HELP TO TREAT OBESITY.
WHILE MORE RESEARCH IS REQUIRED IN THIS AREA, WE KNOW THAT A HEALTHY DIET, PARTICULARLY ONE HIGH IN FIBRE, CAN IMPROVE THE GUT MICROBIOME. A DIET HIGH IN FIBRE HAS MANY OTHER WELL-KNOWN BENEFITS INCLUDING KEEPING US FULLER FOR LONGER AND KEEPING OUR BOWELS REGULAR.
THE TARGET FOR FIBRE INTAKE IS BETWEEN 28-38G PER DAY, CURRENTLY 83% OF AUSTRALIANS ARE NOT MEETING THIS. TO IMPROVE OUR INTAKE OF FIBRE WE NEED TO BE EATING A WIDE RANGE OF PLANT FOODS, INCLUDING FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND WHOLEGRAINS EVERY DAY.
SOME EXAMPLES OF FIBRE IN FOODS ARE:
- 1 CUP OF WHOLEMEAL PASTA: 7.9 G
- 1 SLICE OF WHOLEGRAIN BREAD: 2.4 G
- HALF A CUP OF CARROT (SKIN ON): 3.4 G
- 1 APPLE: 2.2 G
IF YOU THINK YOUR DIET IS LACKING IN FIBRE AND WOULD LIKE THE SUPPORT OF AN ACCREDITED PRACTISING DIETITIAN, CONTACT BETTER HEALTH NUTRITION & FITNESS FOR A CONSULT.
REFERENCES
HTTPS://ONLINELIBRARY.WILEY.COM/DOI/FULL/10.1111/DOM.13561
HTTPS://WWW.SCIENCEDIRECT.COM/SCIENCE/ARTICLE/PII/S0929664618304376
HTTPS://TRANSLATIONAL-MEDICINE.BIOMEDCENTRAL.COM/ARTICLES/10.1186/S12967-017-1175-Y#ABSTRACT
HTTPS://WWW.BMJ.COM/CONTENT/361/BMJ.K2179
HTTPS://WWW.CSIRO.AU/~/MEDIA/NEWS-RELEASES/2018/GUT-HEALTH-TO-TACKLE-OBESITY/1800623-GUT-HEALTH-AND-WEIGHT-LOSS-REPORT--JAN-2019FINALLRSINGLEPAG.PDF
PROBIOTICS ARE LIVE BACTERIA AND YEAST (LIKE THOSE FOUND IN THE GUT) THAT ARE PRESENT IN FOOD. IF EATEN IN ADEQUATE AMOUNTS THEY CAN IMPROVE THE BALANCE OF MICRO-ORGANISMS LIVING IN OUR GUT. PROBIOTICS ARE FOUND IN YOGURTS AND OTHER FERMENTED PRODUCTS LIKE KEFIR AND KOMBUCHA.
PREBIOTICS ARE INDIGESTIBLE CARBOHYDRATES (FIBRE) THAT ENTER THE GUT AND ACT AS A FERTILIZER TO ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF “GOOD” BACTERIA. THE EXACT HEALTH BENEFITS OF PREBIOTICS HOWEVER IS STILL UNDER DEBATE.
GUT MICROBIOME AND OBESITY
EMERGING EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THE GUT MICROBIOME MAY PLAY A ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OBESITY. SOME STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE PEOPLE HAVE LESS DIVERSITY IN THEIR GUT MICROBIOME AS WELL AS DIFFERENT COMBINATIONS OF MICRO-ORGANISMS WHEN COMPARED TO LEAN PEOPLE. IN AN EXCITING NEW AREA OF RESEARCH, IT HAS BEEN SHOWN THAT A FAECAL TRANSPLANT CAN ALLOW THE GUT MICROBIOTA OF THE RECIPIENT TO MATCH THAT OF THE DONOR. THEREFORE, ALTERING THE GUT MICROBIOTA THROUGH A FAECAL TRANSPLANT MAY HELP TO TREAT OBESITY.
WHILE MORE RESEARCH IS REQUIRED IN THIS AREA, WE KNOW THAT A HEALTHY DIET, PARTICULARLY ONE HIGH IN FIBRE, CAN IMPROVE THE GUT MICROBIOME. A DIET HIGH IN FIBRE HAS MANY OTHER WELL-KNOWN BENEFITS INCLUDING KEEPING US FULLER FOR LONGER AND KEEPING OUR BOWELS REGULAR.
THE TARGET FOR FIBRE INTAKE IS BETWEEN 28-38G PER DAY, CURRENTLY 83% OF AUSTRALIANS ARE NOT MEETING THIS. TO IMPROVE OUR INTAKE OF FIBRE WE NEED TO BE EATING A WIDE RANGE OF PLANT FOODS, INCLUDING FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND WHOLEGRAINS EVERY DAY.
SOME EXAMPLES OF FIBRE IN FOODS ARE:
- 1 CUP OF WHOLEMEAL PASTA: 7.9 G
- 1 SLICE OF WHOLEGRAIN BREAD: 2.4 G
- HALF A CUP OF CARROT (SKIN ON): 3.4 G
- 1 APPLE: 2.2 G
IF YOU THINK YOUR DIET IS LACKING IN FIBRE AND WOULD LIKE THE SUPPORT OF AN ACCREDITED PRACTISING DIETITIAN, CONTACT BETTER HEALTH NUTRITION & FITNESS FOR A CONSULT.
REFERENCES
HTTPS://ONLINELIBRARY.WILEY.COM/DOI/FULL/10.1111/DOM.13561
HTTPS://WWW.SCIENCEDIRECT.COM/SCIENCE/ARTICLE/PII/S0929664618304376
HTTPS://TRANSLATIONAL-MEDICINE.BIOMEDCENTRAL.COM/ARTICLES/10.1186/S12967-017-1175-Y#ABSTRACT
HTTPS://WWW.BMJ.COM/CONTENT/361/BMJ.K2179
HTTPS://WWW.CSIRO.AU/~/MEDIA/NEWS-RELEASES/2018/GUT-HEALTH-TO-TACKLE-OBESITY/1800623-GUT-HEALTH-AND-WEIGHT-LOSS-REPORT--JAN-2019FINALLRSINGLEPAG.PDF
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