Compared with a control group that also reduced calories but did not eat oats, those on the oat based plan saw a markedly greater improvement in their cholesterol levels. The reduction remained noticeable even six weeks later. Researchers also found that the diet changed the balance of bacteria in the gut. Substances produced by these microbes appear to play an important role in the health benefits linked to oats.
Gut bacteria are crucial to ensuring healthy digestion and defecation. But two species of bacteria may also be the cause of constipation: according to a new study, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and Akkermansia muciniphila appear to work in concert to break down colonic mucin, the slimy coating in our colons that keeps our poo moving along. Too little mucin means a drier and more constipation-prone colon.
The humble tortilla is an iconic food staple in Mexico. Everyone eats them, regardless of age or income. The ingredients for the tortilla I was frying in this photo have been fermented to include probiotics and prebiotics for gut health. My research focuses on developing such fermented nutraceuticals - nutritious products with pharmaceutical benefits - to help improve people's metabolic health and combat the malnutrition prevalent in some of Mexico's poorest communities.