Prebiotics – Feed your fibre famished gut
Canadians are fibre famished! On average we get only HALF of the recommended 25 to 38 grams of fibre per day. Most people could benefit from increasing their fiber intake, and to help maintain gut health focus on including foods that contain fibres that are also prebiotics.
What is a prebiotic?
Prebiotics are a type of food, mostly fibre that is beneficial for our good gut bacteria. Prebiotics provide fuel for good bacteria which live in our gut to support health.
NOT ALL fibres are pre-biotic! Probiotics are ingredients that naturally contain food for healthy gut bacteria. To be classified as a prebiotic, the fibre must[1]:
- ESCAPE digestion (pass through the stomach undigested) and
- Be able to be FERMENTED by the bacteria in the gut
- Stimulate the growth and/or activity of certain ‘good’ bacteria in the large intestine.
Which foods are naturally high in prebiotics?
Dietary fibre classified as having high prebiotic effects includes inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides (fructans , FOS) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). See below for examples of foods that are naturally high in prebiotics.
| Examples of foods that are naturally high in prebiotics[2] | |
| Vegetables: | Jerusalem artichokes, chicory, garlic, onion, leek, shallots, spring onion, asparagus, beetroot, fennel bulb, green peas, snow peas, sweetcorn, savoy cabbage |
| Legumes: | Chickpeas, lentils, red kidney beans, baked beans, soybeans |
| Fruit: | Custard apples, nectarines, white peaches, persimmon, tamarillo, watermelon, rambutan, grapefruit, pomegranate. Dried fruit (eg. dates, figs) |
| Bread/cereals/snacks: | Barley, rye bread, rye crackers, pasta, gnocchi, couscous, wheat bran, wheat bread, oats |
| Nuts and seeds: | Cashews, pistachio nuts |
[1] Krause 2017 & MedMonash.Edu
[2] MedMonash.Edu