THURSDAY, June 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) — It’s long-standing advice that everyone should get more fiber in their diet, but new research suggests that some people may benefit more than others.
A person’s gut microbiome appears to have some influence on the benefits they get from dietary fiber, the researchers report in the journal Gut Microbes.
Evidence from research shows that different people respond differently to consuming resistant starch, a type of dietary fibre found in bread, cereals, green bananas, whole-grain pasta, brown rice and potatoes.
Some people benefit greatly from it, while others benefit little or nothing at all, and the differences appear to be related to the diversity and composition of gut bacteria.
Ultimately, people’s health could improve if doctors gave them personalized advice about what type of fiber to eat based on their gut microbiome, the researchers say.
“Precision nutrition can definitely help us determine what type of fiber we should encourage people to consume,” Angela Poole, an assistant professor of molecular nutrition at Cornell University and senior research scientist, said in a news release. “This is really important because for decades there has been public messaging encouraging people to eat more fiber.”
Previous studies have shown that a high-fiber diet can help regulate bowel movements, keep you fuller for longer, reduce high blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and stabilize blood sugar levels.
For the study, the researchers recruited 59 subjects and fed them three types of crackers for seven weeks. Two of the crackers contained different forms of resistant starch, and the third contained an easily digestible control starch.
The team found that an individual’s gut bacteria appears to help determine whether digesting fiber produces more short-chain fatty acids, which are associated with improved blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
The researchers concluded that analysing an individual’s microbiome could provide a preview of how the body will respond to different types of fibre and potentially offer useful nutritional advice.
“There are many different types of fiber and carbohydrates, so a better strategy would be to collect data on each person and tell them which fiber to consume to get the best benefit,” Poole said.
The survey results were released on June 24th.
For more information
Houston Methodist goes into more detail about the benefits of dietary fiber.
Source: Cornell University, news release, June 25, 2024
