HealthDay Reporter
August 4th , Thursday, 2022 (HealthDay News) — If your diet is low in fiber, you can benefit your gut by adding more — regardless of the fiber source, new research suggests.
Many people know that fiber is the nutrient that keeps you regular. But it’s also a key factor in what makes up the gut microbiome — the abundance of bacteria and other microbes that live in the digestive tract.
When bacteria in the gut break down fiber, they produce certain short-chain fatty acids, which are the cells of the colon main source of nutrition. Studies have also shown that fatty acids play a role in regulating important functions such as metabolism and immune defense.
It is not clear whether any one type of fiber supplement is better than others People’s gut bacteria. In the new study, researchers tested three common fiber powder supplements: Inulin (chicory root extract), wheat dextrin (in this case Benefiber brand) and galactooligosaccharides (Bimuno).
But, while fiber supplements don’t matter, this guy does: supplements are only consumed when Butyrate production was accelerated in participants who ate small amounts of fiber-rich foods, the study found.
It does make sense, according to Letourneau: “low-fiber consumers” would pass Add a daily fiber supplement to make a big difference. But the word also describes most Americans, he noted. Experts generally recommend that women aim for 25 grams of fiber per day, while men should aim for 38 grams. However, the average American adult consumes only about 30% of these quantities.
And in the grand scheme of things, Letourneau says that even the recommended fiber content may be far lower than that of our ancestors. He points to research showing that members of the Hadza tribe in Tanzania still consume as much as 100 to 150 grams of fiber a day — because their diets are rich in foods like berries, honey and tubers.
So new research – published in the journal July 29 Microbiome — Emphasizes the importance of getting more fiber, no matter the source.
The study focused on supplements, in part because they are easy to learn, Letourneau said. The researchers pre-measured individual doses of fiber supplements to each participant, so they only had to pour the powder into their drinks once a day.
These doses are equivalent to 9 grams of inulin or wheat dextrin, or 3.6 grams of galactooligosaccharides per day.
However, according to a registered dietitian who was not involved in the study, fiber in food is more it is good.
Plant-based foods not only provide various forms of fiber, they also provide a range of vitamins, minerals and beneficial ” Phytochemicals,” said Nancy Farrell Allen, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and an instructor at Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago School of Medicine and Science, Illinois
“I believe food is the best way to meet your fiber needs,” she says. Pharrell Allen points to a long list of fiber-rich foods, including a range of vegetables and fruits; bran grains and whole grains such as farro; “legumes” such as lentils and chickpeas, and legumes such as soybeans and peanuts. She’s also wary of fiber supplements: they can cause unpleasant gas, bloating, and Chronic indigestion. Letourneau agrees that Whole Foods has “real benefits” that cannot be captured in supplementation. But given the importance of fiber — and the lack of it in the American diet — he supports getting as much as possible.
“My attitude is: as long as you can integrate into your life in a sustainable way, it is good, ‘ said Letourneau.
And some good news, any added fiber can quickly have an impact on your gut bacteria. In another study, researchers at Duke University found that fiber supplements began altering people’s gut bacteria within a day — altering the makeup and activity of the microbiome.
“Things do seem to be changing very quickly,” Letourneau said .
This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and other governments and foundations.
Even Multi info
Harvard University has more knowledge about fiber and health.
Source: Jeffrey Letourneau, B.S., Ph.D. Student, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC; Nancy Farrell Allen, MS, RDN, Speaker, School of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chicago, Lecturer in Nutrition, Rosalind Franklin Medical University, North Chicago, IL; Microbiome , July 29, 2022, online; ISME Magazine, July 23, 2022
