We wanted to share some natural evidence-based information with you about your gut health and those beautiful microorganisms that live in your gut. We think there's enough misinformation out there and products that are wasting your money. We want you to have the right information so that you can make informed decisions about your health. Enjoy.

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Fibre and your Gut Health

 

Dietary fibre is the edible parts of plants or other foods (e.g. nuts and grains). Dietary fibre is good for a healthy gut and a healthy you. Dietary fibre is thought to provide a number of natural health-related effects such as the potential to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and to aid with certain gastrointestinal disorders.

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How does fibre affect your gut bugs?

• Fibre can help bulk up your No. 2’s 

• Help with constipation

• And, may reduce the risk of colon disease as it can improve the regularity of your No 2's.

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Fibre can naturally improve the viscosity of your No. 2’s which can help reduce the absorption of cholesterol and other nutrients that are not good for your health. Viscous fibre can reduce the absorption of cholesterol and other nutrients as it thickens the contents in your intestinal tract and slow down the travelling time of nutrients in your gut. This can help to reduce cholesterol and reduce your blood sugar levels after eating.

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Different types of natural fibre and how much do I need?

Most foods get digested in your small intestine and the nutrients are absorbed there. Some fibre doesn’t get digested and absorbed in your small intestine. Instead, it goes to your large intestine where it is fermented to produce other compounds that help keep your gut healthy. In Australia, it is recommended that women have 25 g and men 30 g per day of fibre.

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So what are the three main types of fibre?

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Insoluble fibre. What is it and why is it important?

Insoluble fibre is that tough parts of plants like the skins of fruit and vegetables, wheat bran, corn bran, nuts, seeds and wholegrain foods. Insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water. Insoluble fibre adds bulk to your No. 2’s and prevents constipation. There is only a small % of this fibre that is fermented in your large intestine.

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Soluble fibre. What is it and why is it important?

Soluble fibre is also found in plants and is often found along with insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre does dissolve in water. Soluble fibre has a major role in lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol or LDL's. You can find good sources of soluble fibre in many different fruit and vegetables, oat bran, barley, dried beans, psyllium, lentils, peas and soy products. Your gut bugs love soluble fibre.

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Resistant Starch. What is it and why is it important?

Resistant starch is a type of fibre that feeds you gut bugs in your large intestine and keeps them happy. Resistant starch is an great natural food for your gut bugs as it ‘resists’ digestion in your small intestine and moves through to the large intestine where it is fermented. Through the fermentation process, your bugs produce products that provide health-related benefits.

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The production of these products is linked to the health of your bowel, in particular, cells of your intestine where they are believed to play a part in maintaining the health and integrity of the tight junctions of your intestinal cells (also known as leaky gut) and may modify or balance your gut microbiota.

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What does this mean?

Current research has shown that products produced from the fermentation of resistant starch help keep the gaps between your intestinal cells tight. Therefore nothing leaks through. 

  

What are the products that are produced by the fermentation of fibre and resistant starch?

When the bugs or bacteria in your large intestine ferment fibre, they naturally produce Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs). SCFAs are acetate, propionate, butyrate and succinate.

 

You can learn more about SCFAs and resistant starch and how they can help you in our Rewire UR Gut Program.  Check out our free resource on Fibre.

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Probiotics, Prebiotics and Synbiotics: What are they?

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With all the hype around prebiotics, probiotics, fermented and probiotic food, it’s hard to know what is what. Well here’s what they all mean.

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Prebiotics are nondigestible, natural, fermentable fibres that you may already eat every day. Our resource below contains tables that provide a list of foods containing prebiotics and those microorganisms that utilise these prebiotics for energy. Prebiotic fibre has distinct physical and chemical properties which interact with the microbiota of your gut and can affect your health in different ways. Also remember, all prebiotics are fibre but not all fibre is prebiotic.

 

To be classed as a prebiotic, the fibre must be:

• Able to resist the acidity in your gastrointestinal tract, and is hydrolysed by enzymes being absorbed in your upper gastrointestinal tract;

• Fermented by your gastrointestinal gut bugs; and

• Selectively stimulate the growth and/or activity of intestinal bacteria with the potential of providing positive health benefits.

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Some health-related benefits include:

A natural reduction in the prevalence and duration of infectious and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea;

• A reduction in inflammation and symptoms associated with bowel disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD);

• May help prevent colon cancer;

• Helps your body get the most minerals it can out of the food you eat e.g. calcium, magnesium, and maybe iron;

• May decrease your risk factors of cardiovascular disease; and

• Can make you feel fuller for longer which can help you lose weight and prevent obesity.

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This is not to say that everyone will experience these same health benefits. After all, we are all a little different in the variety of foods we consume.

 

Major sources of prebiotics include soybeans, inulins, unrefined wheat and barley, raw oats, and non-digestible oligosaccharides such as fructans, polydextrose, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), xyliooligosaccharides (XOS) and arabinooligosaccharides (AOS). We now know that having 2-3 prebiotics fibres in your meals each day is beneficial to your gut health and can help to maintain a strong gut community. 

 

Check out the free resource for more information.

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