May 11, 2023 | By fenuflakes | 0 Comments
What is the relationship between fiber and gut health?
The tiny living beings in your intestine give you gut feelings. Yes! They are a very real part of your microbiome.
You can call them your pets, as you must feed them to let them grow and protect you from viral infections. The microbiome is also believed to be an organ system. The microbiome is the final human organ that is actively being studied. The microbiome is easily inherited, like other organs, despite its inherent complexity, a process that most likely involves “small world” power law dynamics of formation in infants.
These microscopic organisms are not living rent-free in your body, but they perform various functions for you that are essential for a healthy life. They help you to fight infections (boost immunity), maintain a healthy weight, protect joints, and even protect you from life-threatening health conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Live long, eat more fiber
We focus on consuming as many nutrient-rich foods as we can in our quest to live a healthy lifestyle, yet dietary fiber is sometimes overlooked. It has been proven by many scientists that fiber is good for health. Gut bacteria create some enzymes important for the digestion of your food. They play a key role in digestion as well as in the better absorption of food.
Dietary recommendations by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for fiber state:
Fiber intake for women should be 25 grams per day; for women over 51, it should be 21 grams per day. For men, it should be 38 g per day, while for men over 50 years, it should be 30 g per day.
According to new research, enough daily fiber intake is necessary to prevent or manage certain health conditions like type 2 diabetes and arthritis.
The question is not about eating high-fiber foods low carb foods; it is about including an appropriate amount of fiber in your diet. It helps with weight management and reduces the risk of many health issues. Eating less than the recommended amount of fiber per day could have a significant impact on how your gut works. Whether or not you lose weight and whether you live a longer life could depend on it.
First prebiotic, then probiotic
Prebiotics and probiotics. Both terms are gaining popularity nowadays.
A prebiotic is a class of nutrients known as prebiotics that are broken down by gut microbes. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in how they relate to human health in general. They can nourish the gut bacteria, and because of their decomposition, short-chain fatty acids are released into the bloodstream and influence not only the gastrointestinal tracts but also other distant organs. Some examples of prebiotics are bananas, oats, Fenuflakes, etc.
While probiotics are living microflora that can reside in your gut, they are consumed or even applied to your body for certain health benefits. Yoghurt, curd, kefir, and miso are some examples of probiotics.
Fenuflakes have a perfect ratio of 1:1 soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber in it has been considered the best food for gut microflora. The fiber-degrading microorganisms residing in our gut can easily metabolise and access soluble fibre. Several useful and functional metabolites are produced from this process. The higher the population of microorganisms in our gut, the thicker the mucous wall will be. It will create a better barrier between our body and the active bacterial population in our intestine. The bacteria aid in digestion, while the mucus barrier reduces inflammation in the body. The ideal win-win situation!
Difference between prebiotics and probiotics
Probiotics | Prebiotics |
It is a non-digestible food which supports the growth of essential microorganisms | It’s a consumable substance which stimulates the multiplication of beneficial gut microflora |
Food for microorganisms | Microbes itself which have health benefits |
Examples: beta-glucan, oats, etc. | Examples: Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, etc. |
An unhealthy gut is a constipated gut
People are constipated! This is the reality of today’s world. More and more processed foods are high in refined carbohydrates, like white bread, refined flour, etc. Some studies have demonstrated the value of a fiber-rich diet in the management of constipation. It works in 4 ways:
- Fiber makes stools bulkier and speeds up colon transit.
- Short-chain fatty acids (butyrate, propionate, acetate, etc.) produced by the fermentation of fibre enhance osmotic load and quicken colon transit.
- Indirectly or directly, short-chain fatty acids alter the intraluminal microbiota via lowering luminal pH.
- Fiber traps water and all these factors improve constipation symptoms.
Hence, a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, pulses, and whole grains is important for your body.
What are some signs of a healthy gut?
Multiple factors can influence your gut health. Some of them are stress, kind of food consumption, allergies, sleep cycle, etc. Some signs of a healthy gut are:
- Pain-free and regular bowel movements
- Feeling energetic throughout the day
- Just the right amount of flatulence and bloating
- Right time of bowel transition
- Mental alertness
- Emotional wellbeing
- No allergies
Ways to improve gut health
Let’s have a look at some easy methods to improve your gut health.
- Eat fermented foods: Intake of fermented foods helps you with the intake of a variety of beneficial bacteria which is a major indicator of a healthy gut. For example, sauerkraut, yoghurt, curd, and kefir. All of these contain lactobacillus bacteria, which reduces bad microorganisms in your body.
Avoid artificial sweeteners: according to a study, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame may increase blood sugar levels by promoting the growth of bad bacteria in your gut like Enterobacteriaceae.
- Eat more soluble fiber: has discussed above soluble fiber tends to hold water and they even promote the growth of gut bacteria. You can include 1 scoop of Fenuflakes, a healthy nutrition food in your diet. It is a more advanced version of methi seeds. It has 20 g of fiber in total with an extremely low amount of carbs.
- Breastfeeding for newborns: Breastfeeding not only provides important vitamins and minerals required for their survival, but it is also important for their gut microbiome development.
- Eat your prebiotics: Prebiotics are a particular kind of fibre that promotes the growth of good bacteria. Some foods high in prebiotics are bananas, asparagus, oats, and apples.
- Consume more whole grain foods: whole grains like kidney beans, chickpeas, whole mung beans, wheat bran, etc are great for not only gut health but also beneficial for your heart health, weight management, cancer prevention and diabetes.
- Probiotic supplement: many times, when your gut health is not as great you may even require taking a supplement which helps to reseed probiotics in your gut and help them make a great living space in your gut.
- Antibiotics: it is important to understand antibiotics can be rough on your gut health. Hence, take them only when it is important to take them. Excessive consumption may also lead to weight gain.
- Take polyphenols: some foods which contain a high number of polyphenols are red wine, dark chocolate, green tea, olive oil, etc. They get broken down for microbial growth.
- Eat more vegetarian foods: plant-based diets may help you reduce E. coli, which is a disease-causing bacterium, dangerous to our health. It even helps you to improve cholesterol and certain heart conditions.
- Eat less processed foods: the fibre content of refined foods that lack whole grains is reduced. White bread and normal pasta are examples of this.
- Eat fruit instead of juice: juicing is a way of removing fiber from the fruit. Having whole fruit is always better than taking juice. Moreover, store-bought juices mostly contain a high amount of added sugar.
In conclusion
Despite its intrinsic complexity, the microbiome is easily passed down through the generations, just like other organs. This process most likely involves “small world” power law dynamics of creation in developing children. It is of the utmost importance that we maintain a great ecosystem in our intestines for good bacteria, as they help digest our food. Most of your food gets digested in your small intestine only. Your gut bacteria make certain enzymes that are important for food digestion. You can identify whether your gut is healthy. A healthy gut means pain-free bowel movements, feeling energetic, bloating just the normal amount, mental clarity, and a healthy reaction to stress.
You can keep your gut healthy by eating the right amount of fiber. Some ways of including enough fiber in your diet are, eating probiotics and prebiotics, avoiding artificial sweeteners, having enough polyphenols, avoiding excessive use of antibiotics, eating more vegetables, avoiding processed foods, eating fresh fruits instead of juices, etc.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22647038/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6836071/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6463098/
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/probiotics-what-you-need-to-know
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8624670/
https://pediaa.com/what-is-the-difference-between-prebiotic-probiotic-and-postbiotic/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17217568/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25313461/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26752321/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23135760/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16400060/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25265089/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23849454/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24115628/
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works
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