It is well established that our dietary choices have a significant impact on our gut microbiota.
Dietary patterns high in plant-based foods are known to be compatible with a healthier gut AND a healthier you.
Eating more fibre, specifically prebiotic fibre, is associated with lower rates of heart disease, many cancers, inflammatory diseases and depression (to name a few).
Most of us struggle to get our minimum fibre requirements for the day. Here are 5 prebiotic-rich foods to fuel your gut bugs. Challenge yourself to try adding some of these to your diet!
Legumes
Add some chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans, baked beans and soybeans to your meals. They are a rich source of fibre and protein AND they are inexpensive.
Barley
Try adding to soups and stews. Make a grain salad with cooked barley and vegetables. Include it as a side dish instead of rice.
Nectarines
All fruit contains fibre! Nectarines are especially rich in prebiotic fibre. Eat as a snack, add to your favourite salad or add to a morning smoothie.
Green Peas
Try smashed peas on toast, snack on them raw or toss in your favourite curry, risotto or pasta dish.
Garlic
As well as being good for our gut, garlic has other disease-preventing effects on many chronic diseases such as metabolic disorders, blood pressure and diabetes
References
Hills, R. D., Jr, Pontefract, B. A., Mishcon, H. R., Black, C. A., Sutton, S. C., & Theberge, C. R. (2019). Gut Microbiome: Profound Implications for Diet and Disease. Nutrients, 11(7),
Beam, A., Clinger, E., & Hao, L. (2021). Effect of Diet and Dietary Components on the Composition of the Gut Microbiota. Nutrients, 13(8), 2795.
Ansary, J., Forbes-Hernández, T. Y., Gil, E., Cianciosi, D., Zhang, J., Elexpuru-Zabaleta, M., Simal-Gandara, J., Giampieri, F., & Battino, M. (2020). Potential Health Benefit of Garlic Based on Human Intervention Studies: A Brief Overview. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 9(7), 619.
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