Posted on 07/10/2024 7:01:20 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A team of researchers has discovered that dietary fiber plays a crucial role in determining the balance between the production of healthy and harmful substances by influencing the behavior of bacteria in the colon.
Different types of bacteria inside our colon compete to utilize an essential amino acid called tryptophan.
The research reveals that when we eat a lot of dietary fiber, gut bacteria help turn tryptophan into healthy substances. But if we don't eat enough fiber, tryptophan can be converted into harmful compounds by our gut bacteria.
"The gut bacterium E. coli can turn tryptophan into a harmful compound called indole, which is associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease. But another gut bacterium, C. sporogenes, turns tryptophan into healthy substances associated with protection against inflammatory bowel diseases, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological diseases," says Anurag Kumar Sinha.
Through multiple experiments in bacterial cultures and mice, the researchers demonstrated that fiber-degrading gut bacteria, such as B. thetaiotaomicron, regulate the indole-forming activity of E. coli.
"B. thetaiotaomicron assists by breaking down fibers into simple sugars, which E. coli prefers over tryptophan for growth. The sugar components from the fibers prevent E. coli from turning tryptophan into indole, thereby allowing C. sporogenes to utilize tryptophan to produce healthy compounds," says Anurag Kumar Sinha.
It is well-known that dietary fiber can alter the composition and quantities of bacteria in our gut microbiome. However, looking merely at the composition and abundance of gut microbial species will not tell us much about their impact on our health.
So, dietary fiber not only helps modify the types of bacteria in the gut, leading to a healthier composition, but also influences the behavior of gut bacteria in ways that promote health.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Eat more soluble fiber.
The specific probiotics talked to here don’t seem available, so we are counting on them being commonly in each of us, for these responses.
I believe Turkey has tryptophan; the clumsy, territorial bird, not the Middle Eastern country.
I was eating a celery stalk when this came up.
Yeah, it does and makes some sensitive people sleepy (the big meal at Thanksgiving is probably a bigger factor).
When people ask why I have 6 large bottles of prune juice in my shopping cart I quote General Macarthur...
Preparedness is the key to victory !
Lately I’ve discovered the wonders of dates!
Try dried figs!
“Try dried figs!”
OK! Love figs:)
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