{"id":1683,"date":"2020-11-04T14:00:15","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T14:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tghd.flipside-staging.com\/?p=1683"},"modified":"2023-02-28T16:16:51","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28T16:16:51","slug":"could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria","title":{"rendered":"Could different types of fibre have unique effects on our gut bacteria?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ll all know by now that fibre is good for us. Fibre feeds our gut bacteria and keeps them thriving, so they can keep looking after us in so many ways.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All our plant-based foods provide a diverse variety of fibre and there are thought to be over 100 different types \u2013 but could different fibres have unique effects on our GM (gut microbiota) and influence the chemicals they produce in our body? A new study suggests they might!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In the new study, 40 healthy individuals, who normally ate the UK average of around 18g of fibre daily, were given different types of resistant starch for 4 weeks: corn, potato, tapioca or a placebo (digestible corn starch). Each week, the participants increased their doses of fibre (on top of their 18g a day already), starting with an extra 10g per day in week 1, increasing to 20g, 35g and finally 50g per day in week 4. The activity of their GM, as well as gut symptoms, were measured at the end of each week.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

What did they find?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Having 20g a day of the same type of fibre (corn and tapioca) actually led to a decrease<\/em><\/strong> in GM diversity \u2013 and remember, having more<\/em><\/strong> diversity is linked with better the health outcomes. This is thought to be because having large amounts of just one kind would favour one type of bacteria over others. So, relying on just one source for our daily fibre intake may not be such a good idea for our GM.<\/p>\n

The non-fermented fibres (potato and the placebo) didn\u2019t have this diversity-reducing effect, indicating that potato fibre doesn\u2019t have the same influence on our GM as other prebiotic fibres.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth mixing up the menu as much as possible. For example, if you\u2019re planning to have wholewheat pasta for lunch, go for a different starchy carb for breakfast, such as oats or buckwheat, then choose rice or quinoa for dinner.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Was there any impact on the products produced?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You see, each type of dietary fibre has a different structure and our microbes each favour different fibres \u2013 that\u2019s why the variety is important, so we\u2019re feeding a whole range of microbes. And when our GM ferments or \u2018eats\u2019 these fibres, they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are known to be beneficial for our health.<\/p>\n

When looking at the individual effect on the gut bacteria, corn and tapioca not only influenced the types of bacteria they increased, but they also had very specific effects on what SCFAs the bacteria produced (at 35g a day, corn increased butyrate and tapioca increased propionate). Potato and the placebo didn\u2019t have any impact. In practice, while it\u2019s interesting to see, these changes didn\u2019t seem to mean much for our overall health.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Full disclosure!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now, this is a small study with only 10 participants per group and the authors themselves did caution against oversimplifying the results. We\u2019ve got a long way to go before we can start recommending specific fibres for certain types of microbes \u2013 it\u2019s highly individualised after all. But it does suggest there might be an opportunity in the future for targeted alterations to our GM. Watch this space\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Key take-home:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When it comes to fibre, variety is key! Focusing on just one type could negatively impact our GM by reducing the diversity. Think about incorporating all six plant-based food groups: fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes (beans and pulses), nuts and seeds. Tinned, fresh and frozen all count. Each different type feeds different gut bacteria and has different effects on their activity, and we want a diversely skilled team of microbes for better health outcomes.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gut Glossary<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • \n

    GM = gut microbiota, the trillions of microbes living within us<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    SCFAS = short-chain fatty acids are produced by our GM when they ferment or \u2018eat\u2019 dietary fibre. They\u2019re considered beneficial to our health for a number of reasons, including links to maintaining our gut lining, modulating our immune system and reducing inflammation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Resistant starch = a type of fibre that quite literally ‘resists’ digestion in your small intestine, making its way down to the large intestine where your GM love to feast on it and produce beneficial compounds (short-chain fatty acids, or SCFAs)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    You\u2019ll all know by now that fibre is good for us. Fibre feeds our gut bacteria and keeps them thriving, so they can keep looking after us in so many ways.   All our plant-based foods provide a diverse variety of fibre and there are thought to be over 100 different types \u2013 but could…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1684,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-or-nutrition"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCould different types of fibre have unique effects on our gut bacteria? | The Gut Health Doctor<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Could different types of fibre have unique effects on our gut bacteria? | The Gut Health Doctor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You\u2019ll all know by now that fibre is good for us. Fibre feeds our gut bacteria and keeps them thriving, so they can keep looking after us in so many ways.   All our plant-based foods provide a diverse variety of fibre and there are thought to be over 100 different types \u2013 but could...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Gut Health Doctor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-04T14:00:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-28T16:16:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/RS-fibre.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"587\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shirley Clinic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shirley Clinic\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria\",\"name\":\"Could different types of fibre have unique effects on our gut bacteria? | The Gut Health Doctor\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/RS-fibre.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-04T14:00:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-28T16:16:51+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae103084a790026b64e164c8916c48c6\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/RS-fibre.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/RS-fibre.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":587,\"caption\":\"A spread of carbohydrates\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Could different types of fibre have unique effects on our gut bacteria?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/\",\"name\":\"The Gut Health Doctor\",\"description\":\"Transform your gut, transform your life\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae103084a790026b64e164c8916c48c6\",\"name\":\"Shirley Clinic\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed0bacfe4bac7b93b8f8a90e47e1520b6b2ac3debc49e9450237110298823c03?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed0bacfe4bac7b93b8f8a90e47e1520b6b2ac3debc49e9450237110298823c03?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Shirley Clinic\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Could different types of fibre have unique effects on our gut bacteria? | The Gut Health Doctor","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Could different types of fibre have unique effects on our gut bacteria? | The Gut Health Doctor","og_description":"You\u2019ll all know by now that fibre is good for us. Fibre feeds our gut bacteria and keeps them thriving, so they can keep looking after us in so many ways.   All our plant-based foods provide a diverse variety of fibre and there are thought to be over 100 different types \u2013 but could...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria","og_site_name":"The Gut Health Doctor","article_published_time":"2020-11-04T14:00:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-02-28T16:16:51+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":587,"url":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/RS-fibre.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Shirley Clinic","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shirley Clinic","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria","url":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria","name":"Could different types of fibre have unique effects on our gut bacteria? | The Gut Health Doctor","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/RS-fibre.jpg","datePublished":"2020-11-04T14:00:15+00:00","dateModified":"2023-02-28T16:16:51+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae103084a790026b64e164c8916c48c6"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/RS-fibre.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/RS-fibre.jpg","width":1000,"height":587,"caption":"A spread of carbohydrates"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/could-different-types-of-fibre-have-unique-effects-on-our-gut-bacteria#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Could different types of fibre have unique effects on our gut bacteria?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/","name":"The Gut Health Doctor","description":"Transform your gut, transform your life","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae103084a790026b64e164c8916c48c6","name":"Shirley Clinic","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed0bacfe4bac7b93b8f8a90e47e1520b6b2ac3debc49e9450237110298823c03?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ed0bacfe4bac7b93b8f8a90e47e1520b6b2ac3debc49e9450237110298823c03?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Shirley Clinic"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theguthealthdoctor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}