Go With Your Gut

A new book from the CSIRO outlines a diet that may dramatically improve our digestive health – and our general wellbeing. MYKE BARTLETT writes.

As the saying goes, we are what we eat. But new research is showing that what we eat, and the impact it has on the ecology of our gut, has a profound impact on our immune system, our overall sense of wellbeing and even our brain. Eating the right types of high fibre foods means we’re feeding the gut microbiome – all those microbes in our digestive system, good and bad – with the fuel it needs to grow the good bacteria, which can have particular benefits for people living with diabetes. Research scientist and dietitian Pennie Taylor is one of the authors of The CSIRO Gut Care Guide, designed as an easy introduction to the world of soluble fibre, insoluble fibre and resistant starch – three ingredients that are, in careful measures, the secret to good gut health. Taylor says she became interested in the gut health diet after an increasing number of patients at her clinic were suffering from mysterious gut disturbances. “Patients were getting quite a lot of complaints called dysbiosis. We worked through several scenarios of FODmaps or other diets to reduce either carbohydrate burden or additives and preservatives. It didn't matter what we took out, we still saw a growth in my clients having gut concerns.” A CSIRO survey mapped out a constellation of common symptoms including bloatedness, reflux, general discomfort and fatigue. Many of Taylor's patients hadn’t made the connection between gut health and a lack of wellbeing. “A lot of people will say, well, that is because I'm busy or getting older. People become quite dismissive of those types of symptoms.” This dysbiosis – brought on by an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut or “microbiome” – is a symptom of modern living, where our diets are increasingly dominated by extensively processed foods, added salts and sugars, and a lack of diverse and proper fibre. “There’s a number of reasons why we have an imbalance in our gut microbiome, but more predominantly, it can be brought on by poor diet and lifestyle choices over the longer term. We also know that inflammation caused by a longer term poor diet and lifestyle choices are what contributes to the development of disease, including type 2 diabetes.” The new book aims to make what can seem a complex diet – with its talk of multiple kinds of fibre, starches and the gut microbiome – simple to implement, even for those of us with busy lifestyles. Within the pages are a variety of daily food plans, adapted to shift workers and the time poor. The diet also fits in with reducing carbs and might help people manage or even prevent diabetes. Poor gut health – or an unbalanced gut microbiome – is associated with a condition called leaky gut, which is thought to play a causative role in developing type 2 diabetes. “We know type 2 diabetes is associated with increased intestinal permeability and what people would call leaky gut,” Taylor says. “There is accumulating evidence that looks at the differences in the gut microbiome link for people with type 2 diabetes compared to individuals without type 2 diabetes. Eating more resistant starch has also been shown to prevent some cancers, slow the progression of type 2 diabetes, and assist in immune defence.” One solution to our lifestyle issues will be foods that are fortified with or enhanced by cutting edge food tech, such as the growing trend for producers to include prebiotic fibre (one of the magic ingredients for gut health) in their products. This is more than empty marketing spin. CSIRO’s patented BARLEYmax™️, a resistant starch grain the organisation developed, has been put into a wide range of cereals, bars and breads that can now legitimately make claims about improving digestive wellness. Taylor says she’s also aware that, in our digital age of mass misinformation, consumers often have difficulty telling apart the claims backed by scientific organisations such as CSIRO from those made by the so-called wellness industry. “Personally, I think our scientists and our clinicians need to be a bit more vocal about what the science is saying. The

online presence of health and wellbeing gurus out there means strong personalities can dominate over someone who has all the science and knowledge and ability behind them. I do think that it still is quite confusing out there in the market. What's adequate? What's a suitable diet? I think that also is compounded by the fact that not one diet fits all.” Indeed, Taylor is keen to stress that the gut health diet as laid out in the book might not work for everyone, although it can be easily adapted to a range of cultural backgrounds. She encourages people to give it a go, either on its own or in combination with other, scientifically rigorous diets. “We know one size doesn't fit all, but this might just add to the information that's out there. That's beneficial. In my practice, I have so many people who just don't trust their knowledge about themselves. When you actually sit down with them, and you go through their breakfast, lunch and dinners? 90% of their diet is right. It's just maybe a few tweaks that we're making.”

The CSIRO Gut Care Guide by Michael Conlon, Pennie Taylor, Dr Cuong D Tran and Megan Rebuli, Published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $39.99, Photography by

Rob Palmer

The three crucial ingredients for gut health

Soluble fibres

Nuts and legumes, fruit, oats and barley, most vegetables These slow digestion (and blood glucose uptake), help control hunger, increase the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and support the growth of good bacteria. Insoluble fibres

Legumes, nuts and seeds, most wholegrain goods, most fruit, most vegetables These propel food along the gastrointestinal tract, create a sense of fullness to control appetite. Resistant starch

Legumes, grains, under-ripe bananas, cooked and cooled potatoes, novel cereals such as BARLEYmax™️ Resists digestion in small intestine and is extensively fermented by the gut microbiome. Helps to lower cholesterol and assists with blood glucose levels.