Posted on 09/25/2021 2:45:42 PM PDT by be-baw
is arguably one of the most important things to pay attention to when it comes to your overall health, as it can impact your risk of things like excessive weight gain, gastrointestinal disease, and even cancer.
As more and more research is being done, experts are finding that food and diet play a large role in the care of your gut health. In fact, foods like yogurt, sprouted grains, salmon, and garlic have all been found to contribute in a positive way.
00:36 / 00:36
One food that stands out, in particular, is garlic. Not only because it's delicious, but also because it's been used medicinally for thousands of years. One major effect garlic has on your gut that researchers have recently discovered is its ability to act as a prebiotic for your gut microbiome.
But why is this so important? Well, maintaining a balanced gut microbiome is crucial because this is the group of bacteria, fungi, and other components that live in your digestive tract, which directly impact things like your digestion, immune system, and even your mental health!
Keep reading to learn why exactly prebiotic foods like garlic are necessary for maintaining a healthy gut, and for more healthy eating tips, make sure to check out The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.
First, what is garlic made up of? Garlic may be small, but it is actually a complex food with many different types of nutrients and compounds that make it a common medicinal addition to meals.
According to Nutrients, garlic cloves are made mostly of carbohydrates but also contain protein, fiber, amino acids, water, and organosulfur compounds (which are also found in broccoli, onions, and cabbage).
The majority of carbohydrates found in garlic are fructose polymers known as fructans. Although more research is continually being done on the health benefits of fructans, many experts do consider them to be "health-promoting food ingredients."
For example, a report published in The Scientific World Journal states that fructans have been known to promote better immune health, act as antioxidants in the body, and potentially act as prebiotics in the gut.
How garlic helps your gut
It's important to note that much of the current research on garlic and gut health is done through animal studies, so more needs to be discovered specifically related to human health.
However, the current findings that do exist on garlic and human health are positive, showing many specific benefits to the human gut microbiome.
According to Food Science & Human Wellness, the fructans found in garlic act as "prebiotics" in the gut microbiome and help promote the production of "good" gut bacteria (also known as Bifidobacteria).
Prebiotics are able to do this by passing through your digestive tract without actually being digested, which allows them to be used as food for the good bacteria in your gut, therefore helping to keep the other bacteria in your gut at bay.
Not only that, but according to the Encyclopedia of Food and Health, prebiotics have been known to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of cancer and other serious diseases.
So, it's easy to see that garlic really does have some amazing benefits to your gut health, and although more research still needs to be done, the current results are promising!
Whole head of what?
I love garlic, but my wife adores it too much. She eats so much, it comes out of her skin. Not good for “date night”....
The author is not wrong about garlic & the gut, but is SO wrong about other facts that the conclusion is clear:
She’s an idiot.
I suggest understanding a word:
Oligosaccharide.
The author is an idiot and should not be writing about the gut.
"It also keeps vampires away."
those pesky italians must have figured this out long ago
Fructans that are inulans (sp?) are polysaccharides, not oligosaccharides, so they are not digestible by humans, but they are digestible by beneficial bacteria.
Before you further embarrass yourself, do some basic research. It’s far more complex than you assert in terms of health, but beautifully simple in terms of organic chemistry...if you take the time to understand it.
It will also benefit you immensely.
If more FReepers in this thread were aware of “Why?” they react badly to cabbage, broccoli, kimchi, etc., they would be able to change course to improved health, heal the gut and later enjoy foods which are wholly beneficial without fear or discomfort. AMA doctors are almost totally worthless in this regard.
Btw, those reading this who have gut sensitivities and consume yogurt (or other packaged foods, including ice cream) which contains chickory should read up before believing that either, 1. You are yogurt (food) intolerant, 2. The yogurt must be working.
The same goes for many other wrongfully-demonized foods due to oversimplified (dare I say ‘ignorant’) cause/effect.
Yeas ago dated an Italian guy......the odor was just overbearing and so it was a very short lived relationship..6 weeks I think.
You seem to get off on putting people down, without actually saying anything worthwhile. I actually have a biology degree, so I certainly have some “basic research.” I’m not, however, up to date on various breaking research or alternative medicine, so if you want to say something other than “everyone besides me is stupid,” please do so.
I don’t even know what you’re trying to say. Fructans cause farts? Fructan intolerance is a thing, if that’s it. I never meant to deny that.
“Fructans that are inulans (sp?) are polysaccharides, not oligosaccharides,”
I attempted to respectfully give you an out and you doubled down both by attacking me and defending your comment via citation of your education.
Those words above are not mine, they are yours. Use that tool in front of you.
OK, seriously... forget about fructans for a moment... (I flipped the meaning of what I wrote because I left off “not” when I tried briefly to look up the spelling of “inulin.” Maybe you could have guessed that when I went on to describe polysaccharide fructans, but I can’t blame you being thrown off by MY error.)
But here’s the thing that I really want to address. You actually started off with, “before you embarrass yourself further.” If you actually think that’s being respectful, fructans making you fart in public is NOT the root cause of your social problems. In fact, that comment kinda wins a prize for dickishness, which, in the context of debating anonymously on the internet, is a pretty big accomplishment.
But I buy black garlic...and it is amazing also.
So you would have preferred a softer approach than that, hmmm? Reactionary to a soft correction of an egregious statement with an ad hominem response, hmmm? Awful liberal of you. /s
My original comment was denigrating the author of the OP article with a suggestion to look up the word. You responded with a totally ignorant response, doubling down with the narcissistic statement, “I actually have a biology degree.”
If you feel slighted, I am the wrong target. Perhaps you should look to your alma mater and get your money back.
There’s no ad hominem. An ad hominem would be “you’re a jerk, so obviously you’re wrong about oligosaccharides.” I’m saying, “forget about the issue of oligosaccharides, you’ve got bigger problems.”
To wit, I acknowledged making an error expressing myself. I can’t expect you to recognize and presume the presence of the error, but since the correction fits the context better, it should be apparent after the fact. But you want me to get my money back for my degree.
And that is precisely the last I will engage vicious trolls today.
Well, now: I see you didn’t sleep through the “Pot Victimization by the Kettle” lecture.
smh
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.