FOOD & DRINK
PREBIOTICS, PROBIOTICS AND THE MICROBIOME Priya Tew Freelance Dietitian and Specialist in Eating Disorders Priya runs Dietitian UK, a freelance dietetic service that specialises in social media and media work, consultancy for food companies, eating disorder support, IBS and chronic fatigue. She works with NHS services, The Priory Hospital Group and private clinics, as well as providing Skype support to clients nationwide.
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The world of prebiotics, probiotics and the microbiome has exploded lately and it is definitely an area to stay abreast of and be ready to explain to people in simple terms. There are instant dietary changes that people can make to improve their gut health, potentially their mental health and overall physical health too. The microbiome is an exciting area of research right now. It has the potential to make some big changes to how we approach nutrition. The gut microbiota is a vast and diverse community of micro-organisms in the human intestinal tract, including bacteria, viruses, archaea and unicellular eukaryotes.3 There are 10 times more microbial cells than there are human cells in the body. The diversity and number of microbes increases through the GI tract from the stomach with the colon containing the most. This is affected by the current bacterial composition (types of microorganisms) and the abundance. PREBIOTICS
Prebiotics are natural, non-digestible food components which help promote the growth of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in the gut. They alter the colonic microbiota in favour of a healthier composition. Fermentation
in the colon leads to the production of energy, metabolites and micronutrients and an increase in probiotics. Prebiotics are found naturally in a range of fibre rich foods. These include fermentable oligosaccharides, consisting of three to 10 monosaccharide units. These foods are fermented in the large intestine, giving rise to their benefits. Examples include: • fructans found in main fruit and veg, grains legumes, nuts and inulin; • galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) found in legumes and beans. It’s worth noting here that a different class of GOS (β-linked lactose-derived) has been shown to have multiple beneficial prebiotic properties.
Table 1: Foods which are a natural source of prebiotics Fructans
Galacto-oligosaccharides
Fruit: nectarines, watermelon, plums, pomegranate, grapefruit, ripe bananas
Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, beans
Veggies: artichokes, cabbage, onions, shallots, spring onions, leeks, garlic, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, fennel Grains: wholewheat, rye and barley Legumes and nuts: chickpeas, lentils, beans, pistachios, cashews, almonds Other: inulin, dandelion tea www.NHDmag.com December 2018/January 2019 - Issue 140
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