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Todays’ menu:

Research:

1) Chicory root helps gut bacteria thrive 

2) Cranberry and UTI. What’s the real deal?

News: World first “everything gut health” soda

🦠 Chicory root helps gut bacteria thrive

😃 Happy gut, happy volunteers!

Gut health is a popular topic nowadays, and the number of products with added fibre and gut health claims has exploded. But do these added functional ingredients deliver the desired benefits?

To better understand this, a study was conducted in which healthy volunteers consumed 10 grams of chicory root fibre (a type of prebiotic commonly found in processed foods) in different formats: as a supplement, in chocolate, in shortbread, or in rice milk.

For context, prebiotics are fermentable fibres that largely bypass digestion and end up in the large intestine, where they are fermented by gut bacteria. Basically, they are food for the good bacteria that keep our gut healthy.

Regardless of the format, taking chicory root fibre increased Bifidobacteria (a type of "good" bacteria) by around 90%.

🏠 Take home message

Before you binge on chocolate that has chicory root fiber, let's pause and consider the implications of the study.

The good news is that anything that supports gut health is good news. The increase in Bifidobacteria benefits digestive health directly and indirectly by creating less favourable living conditions for potentially harmful bacteria (think about food and space competition between bacteria).

The bad news is that this study only lasted for ten days, which is long enough to show beneficial changes in the gut bacteria colonies, but not long enough to capture the harmful effects of processed food consumption on our metabolic health.

In short, if you care about your gut health, choose fermentable fibres from real food.

Great options are oats, dried fruits, pulses, and most vegetables. This way, you get the fibre and so much more. Happy gut, happy you!

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🍎 Cranberry and UTI: what’s the real deal?

🧃 Just for some

Once, when I was buying cranberry juice, the shop assistant asked me if I had a UTI. Excuse me?!

However, there is some truth to this claim.

A panel of dietitians reviewed scientific studies on cranberry and UTIs and concluded that cranberry products (e.g., capsules, tablets, powder, juice, or extract) can help reduce the risk of symptomatic UTIs.

"Symptomatic" means that the person has symptoms of a UTI, such as frequent urination, stomach pain, or discomfort when peeing.

However, these beneficial effects are only seen in women with recurrent UTIs, children, and adults at risk of UTIs due to medical interventions.

🏠 Take home message

Stress has been linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases, such as obesity and depression. While diet alone is not a magic bullet for reducing stress, eating a diet rich in fermentable fibres and fermented foods can help your gut and stress levels.

The best advice for gut health is to try to consume 30 different real plant foods per week. This includes vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, spices, and herbs.

Examples of fermentable fibres include Oats, Prunes and other dried fruits, Pulses, Vegetables

Examples of fermented foods include Yogurt, Kefir, Kimchi, Tempeh, Kombucha

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🍹 World first ‘everything gut health’ soda

💩 Some expensive sh*t

The world's first pre- and postbiotic soda has landed in New Zealand. It's called Good Sh*t (so funny!).

For context, postbiotics are the byproducts of fibre fermentation in the colon and have been shown to have beneficial effects on gut and metabolic health.

The soda is expensive, though! A case of 4 x 4 costs $87.00.

The brand hopes to capitalize on the gut health and mental health trend, as their website states, "feeling good starts in the gut."

🏠 Take home message

The brand appears to have mishmashed prebiotics (fermentable fibres), probiotics (good bacteria), and postbiotics into a soda drink.

Strangely, it is impossible to find any information on the ratio of ingredients used. The only number available is 11.7 grams of fibre per can, but this tells us nothing specific.

Gut health is much more than just fibre and probiotics.

For example, giving your gut a break via fasting is equally important to allow it to rest and reset. Drinking this soda in the afternoon will certainly give you some fibre, but it would also be additional work for your gut.

In short, there is a lot to be sceptical about. But if you are willing to try it out and spend $87.00, let me know how it tastes.

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👻 And finally!

With Halloween coming, it may be time to brush up your food jokes!

To your health!

Paolo

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