prebiotic fiber Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Why I Include Lentils in My Prebiotic Recipe

AHA Publisher — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 07:00:23 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Lentils and chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are put to the test. If you compared the total antioxidant content of ten different legumes, which do you think would come out on top? Researchers looked at the “pinto bean, baby lima bean, red kidney bean, black kidney bean [what I believe we more commonly know as black bean], navy bean, small red bean, black eyed bean [black-eyed pea], mung bean, lentil, and chickpea.” Who can guess the winner and the loser? As you can see at 0:33 in my video Benefits of Lentils and Chickpeas, lima beans came in at number ten at the bottom of the list. Then came navy beans, black-eyed peas, and mung beans, which is what bean sprouts are typically made from, in seventh place. Moving into the winner’s circle, kidney beans. I’ll bet many would have guessed those to be our number one, but, no. They came in sixth, in the middle of the pack. Five legumes beat them out: pinto beans, black beans, the bronze to small red beans, the silver to chickpeas (garbanzo beans), and the gold to lentils. As you can see below and at 1:17 in my video how lentils pull away from the pack in terms of scavenging up free radicals. Lentils top the charts based on a variety of different measures. Might it be because they’re so small and their nutrients are concentrated in the seed coat, so smaller means more surface area? That would be my guess. When pitted against cholesterol in vitro to try to prevent oxidation, lentils also seem to stand out, perhaps making it “the best among all tested food legumes for the development of a dietary supplement for promoting heart health and for preventing cancers”—or you could just have some lentil soup. (They are the L in my BROL prebiotic mix recipe featured in How Not to Diet and The How Not to Diet Cookbook.) “Aside from lentils, black beans, black soybeans, and red kidney beans” were also found to top the list. As you can see below and at 2:05 in my video, the ingredients of a breakfast made up of a bagel, cream cheese, margarine, egg, cantaloupe, and whole milk. What would happen if you also served either a bowl of black bean soup, just the amount of fiber found in that bowl of soup, orjust the amount of antioxidants found in that bowl of soup? Which do you think works better? Whole plant foods can be greater than the sum of their parts. “Nowadays, it is popular to isolateand sell functional components of foods as dietary supplements and many supplements are marketed for their ‘antioxidant’ properties. However, functional ingredients”—the extracted ingredients—“may not produce the same effects when delivered outside a whole food matrix” or form. In one study, for example, the researchers compared “the ability of black beans to attenuate postprandial [after-meal] metabolic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses [to a crappy breakfast] and determine relative contributions of dietary fiber and antioxidant capacity to the overall effect.” Well, it’s kind of a no-brainer. “Overall, the inclusion of black beans in a meal improved postprandial metabolic responses…that could not be explained by either the fiber or antioxidant fractions alone.” Beans can even affect our responses to subsequent meals. When our body detects starch in our small intestine, it slows down rate at which our stomach empties. That makes sense, since the body wants to finish digesting before the next meal comes down the pike. So, researchers “hypothesized that eating a slowly digestible starch, such as lentils, may trigger these potent…mechanisms to result in a sustained delaying effect on gastric [stomach] emptying.” You can see below and at 3:34 in my video, a graphic showing the stomach emptying rate at a second meal consumed four and a half hours after eating a “premeal of either lentils or bread,” a quickly digesting starch. The chart doesn’t show how fast your stomach empties itself of the premeal, but how fast it empties a second meal eaten hours after you ate those lentils or that bread. So what happened? A premeal of lentils significantly slowed stomach emptying of a second meal compared with a premeal of quickly digestible bread. In fact, the lentil premeal slowed stomach emptying by about an hour, which means you would feel that much fuller for that much longer after lunch, simply because you had some beans for breakfast. And, when all the fiber and resistant starch make it down to the large intestine, they can feed the good bacteria in our colon. Researchers fed people a little over a cup of canned chickpeas a day, and, in just three weeks, some of the bad bacteria, the “pathogenic” and “putrefactive bacteria,” got crowded out, nearly halving the number of people colonizing a high ammonia-producing bacteria, indicating that chickpeas “have the potential to modulate the intestinal microbiome to promote intestinal health in humans” within a matter of weeks. I’ve since expanded my BROL prebiotic mix to include hulled purple barley and rye berries. Together with oat groats and beluga lentils, they form the base for many a sweet and savory dish in the Greger household. Key Takeaways Total antioxidant content of ten legumes, from most to least: lentils, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), small red beans, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, mung beans, black-eyed peas, navy beans, and lima beans. Lentils also stand out when pitted against cholesterol in vitro to try to prevent oxidation, making them “the best among all tested food legumes for the development of a dietary supplement for promoting heart health and for preventing cancers”—but why not just eat lentils themselves? Although extracts, dietary supplements, and the like are popular, whole plant foods can be greater than the sum of their parts. When researchers compared black beans to an unhealthy breakfast, the beans were found to improve after-meal metabolic responses “that could not be explained by either the fiber or antioxidant fractions alone.” Beans, such as lentils, can also slow stomach emptying of a subsequent meal, leaving you feeling much fuller for longer. The fiber and resistant starch in beans also feed the good bacteria in our colon, thereby crowding out our bad “pathogenic” and “putrefactive” bacteria. To read the original article click here.

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Energizing Green High Fiber Smoothie

AHA Publisher — Wed, 11 May 2022 07:00:25 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Need more ways to get enough fiber in your diet? Need more energy? You’re not alone! Fortunately, these two health desires go hand-in-hand. In fact, when you include high fiber foods in your diet, you can improve digestion. Then, better digestion improves many aspects of life, including energy. Ready to start? Try our Energizing Green High Fiber Smoothie today! Energizing Green High Fiber Smoothie Ingredients 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or canned coconut milk 1 scoop Keto Zone® Fiber Zone 1 scoop Divine Health® Fermented Green Supremefood® 1 scoop Keto Zone® Hydrolyzed Collagen 1 tablespoon hemp heart seeds 1 stalk celery 1/2 cup strawberries (2-3 large) water and ice as needed for desired consistency Instructions Place all ingredients in a blender. Mix well. Make sure to add water as needed. Add ice to desired consistency. Drink immediately. Makes one serving. Nutrition info: 367 calories, 12 grams fat, 5 grams net carbs (29 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams fiber), 27 grams protein What Can You Get in a Smoothie? 2 Types of Fiber Our Energizing High-Fiber Green Smoothie contains fiber from Keto Zone® Fiber Zone and whole foods. This combination is great for digestive health. In fact, there are 2 primary fibers in the smoothie. INULIN Inulin is a prebiotic fiber. This means it feeds the healthy bacteria and cells in our digestive tracts. This is a good thing because gut bacteria need a healthy food source! Inulin is found in many plants, like chicory root. Interestingly, human digestive tracts can’t break down and digest it. Therefore, inulin is not a nutritive carbohydrate (one that provides calories). Instead, inulin is consumed by healthy bacteria and converted into a short-chain fatty acid that further nourishes colon cells (1). PSYLLIUM HUSK Psyllium husk is made of both soluble (70%) and insoluble fibers (30%). This means twice the benefits. Similar to inulin, the soluble fiber acts as a prebiotic, to feed and fortify healthy gut bacteria. The insoluble fiber passes through the digestive tract, mostly intact. It provides bulk and softness to stools, subtle laxative effects, and can improve digestive health, in addition to other benefits of fiber (2). Why Go High Fiber? Top 10 Health Benefits of Fiber 1. IMPROVED ENERGY & MOOD As described in detail in this post, you can improve the health of many body systems by improving the health of your digestive system. For one, when digestion is working well, your body delivers the nutrients it needs from foods to every system. This means better metabolism and better energy. Incredibly, the consumption of high fiber and the resulting improvement in digestion also affects mood and mental health. The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis (the communication between the bacteria and hormones in the gut and the brain) can trigger emotional shifts, mood changes, anxious and depressed moods, and mental impairments (3, 4, 5, 6). 2. GREAT BONE HEALTH Bone health depends on the efficient absorption of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, vitamin K2, vitamin D, and magnesium. Lab studies have found inulin improves the absorption of nutrients, resulting in improved bone density (7, 8). What’s more, studies of children (ages 9-13) have shown better calcium absorption and bone mineralization when taking inulin (9, 10). 3. WEIGHT LOSS AND NORMALIZED APPETITE For those looking to lose weight, inulin and psyllium husk are great choices. Multiple studies show that high fiber can reduce intake and promote healthy weight changes (11, 12). In fact, in one study the “inulin fiber group” lost 2 pounds while the control group gained one. While consuming 21 grams of inulin per day, the inulin group experienced lower hunger-hormone levels and increased fullness (13). 4. OPTIMAL BLOOD SUGARS AND IMPROVED DIABETES CONTROL For those with impaired blood glucose, several studies on inulin and psyllium husk suggest it may help optimize blood sugars (14, 15, 16, 17). How? First, as a fiber, it slows digestion to reduce blood sugar spikes. Second, it has been shown to actually decrease fat in the livers of people with impairments (18). Reducing liver fat can reduce insulin resistance and may help reverse blood sugar issues (19). What’s more, another study showed that 10 grams of inulin per day reduced fasting blood glucose by an average of 8.5% and hemoglobin A1C (HgbA1C) by an average of 10.5% (20). 5. GOOD PROBIOTIC COLONY HEALTH & REDUCED CONSTIPATION Healthy gut bacteria is essential for overall health. Both inulin and psyllium husk stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria. When these bacteria proliferate, yeast overgrowth is inhibited, digestion improves, and the immune function benefits (21, 22). Inulin and psyllium husk also decrease constipation, hemorrhoids, and other digestion issues. Inulin relieves constipation with soluble fibers; psyllium does so with both soluble and insoluble fibers. For example, one 4-week study found that 15 grams of inulin per day improved constipation in older adults (23). Psyllium husk softens stools and increases stool bulk to reduce constipation and hemorrhoids. 6. LESS DIETARY CARBOHYDRATES AS THICKENERS Inulin improves the texture of manufactured foods. You can use it in home cooking as well. Use inulin powder in low-carbohydrate recipes to thicken sauces, soups, condiments and more. Stir it into a warm liquid and continue stirring until slightly thickened. 7. HEALTHY TRIGLYCERIDE AND CHOLESTEROL LEVELS Psyllium husk and inulin are proven cholesterol reducers. One study concluded that 6 weeks of psyllium intake resulted in lower cholesterol in obese and overweight participants (24). What’s more, another study confirmed that 5 grams of psyllium three times daily for six weeks reduced triglycerides by 26%, compared to the placebo (25). 8. OPTIMAL BLOOD PRESSURE What about blood pressure? Studies have shown that high fiber and psyllium husk can support healthy blood pressure, too! In fact, one study showed a diet with an additional 12 grams of fiber from psyllium reduced systolic blood pressure by 5.9 mm mercury in 36 participants with high blood pressure (26). 9. MAY REDUCE INCIDENCE OF COLON CELL OVERGROWTH Studies have reported inulin as an agent that reduces colon cell overgrowth. A review of 12 animal studies found that 88% of the groups given inulin saw a reduction in pre-malignant colon growths (27). In terms of human studies, one promising experiment showed that inulin caused the colon environment to be less favorable for cell overgrowth (28). 10. LESS LOOSE STOOLS Since fiber promotes reduced constipation, it’s sort of a wonder it can also improve diarrhea! Digestion is about “balance.” With the right amount of fiber, you should experience regularity without constipation or diarrhea. How does it work? The fibers absorb water, thereby reducing diarrhea and increasing stool softness and bulk (29, 30). Support Digestion With Keto Zone There are many ways the Keto Zone supports digestive health. They include: Keto Zone® Fiber Zone. This proprietary fiber supplement powder is formulated with both psyllium husk and inulin to support health as described above. Dr. Colbert Beyond Biotics™ is an excellent probiotic supplement with 12 billion healthy probiotic bacteria units. These units have been proven to encourage optimal digestive health in just 4 weeks! In fact, Beyond Biotics™ contains 3 clinically studied and tested probiotic strains consisting of 12 billion bacteria, supporting the immune response and natural defenses. If you want to encourage great health throughout your body, this is a great supplement. Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone Plan. It will teach you, step-by-step, how to improve your digestive health, support your entire body, and encourage better brain function, alertness and health starting today! Join Dr. Colbert in his challenge to prioritize your gut health. It can make all the difference to health! Dr. Colbert’s Beyond Keto program combines Keto Zone and Mediterranean foods to support gut health! In fact, studies have found the Mediterranean diet specifically improves gut microbiota and its associated metabolism functions (31). Get started with Dr. Colbert’s Beyond Keto today and encourage digestive and whole-body health! Bottom Line Fiber is a great nutrient for whole body health. Keto Zone® Fiber Zone provides 2 effective types of fiber to support your body. Try our Energizing Green High Fiber Smoothie today and flood your body with nutrients that encourage all 10 fiber benefits! To read the original article click here.

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