Prebiotics In Nuts Lower Cholesterol And Improve The Intestinal Flora

Author: Mark Velov Time for reading: ~2 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Prebiotics In Nuts Lower Cholesterol And Improve The Intestinal Flora

Prebiotics are indigestible nutrients that stimulate the growth of certain types of bacteria in the colon ...

In addition to being delicious, nuts are extremely rich in vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, which makes them an important part of a healthy diet.

Recently published studies show that the prebiotics contained in nuts can effectively lower cholesterol levels and improve the intestinal flora.

Prebiotics are indigestible nutrients that affect our metabolism by selectively stimulating the growth and activity of certain types of bacteria in the colon. To be effective, prebiotics must reach the colon without being absorbed by the upper digestive tract, and once they reach it, they must be able to be utilized by specialized groups of microorganisms that have a pronounced and health-improving effect. opportunities.

The nutrients that meet these criteria are several main groups of oligosaccharides, some of which are found in onions, chicory and garlic, others - in beans and peas, others - in milk, etc. They, in turn, are an important part of the body's defense against pathogenic microorganisms.

The effect of different types of nuts on bacteria typical of the gastrointestinal tract was observed in experimental conditions simulating the effect of gastric and intestinal juices on food.

The authors of the study explain that the observed stimulation on the growth of the intestinal microflora is absent in the removal of fat from nuts. This proves that it is the fatty acids contained in nuts that are necessary for the good development of the beneficial bacteria that inhabit the intestines.

Another scientific study shows that just a handful of nuts a day can significantly lower cholesterol and protect against a number of cardiovascular diseases.

This conclusion was reached by American scientists from Tufts University in Boston.

The experiment, led by Jeffrey Bloomberg, involved 27 volunteers. Elevated cholesterol levels were found in all study participants.

The volunteers were divided into three groups and subjected to three different diets with the same amount of calories.

Participants in the first group had to consume 75 grams of different nuts per day, those in the second - 35 grams, and in the third, were obliged to completely avoid the consumption of nuts.

The experiment lasted one month. The data collected after the end of the study showed that the volunteers in the first group had a level of bad cholesterol decreased by as much as 19%.

In the participants of the second group, cholesterol was also reduced but on average 2 times less than in the first group. In the third group, the level of cholesterol in the blood did not change.

Prebiotics In Nuts Lower Cholesterol And Improve The Intestinal Flora

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