We Lose Valuable Bacteria When We Do Not Eat Fiber
Author: Dean Rouseberg
Time for reading: ~2
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
The intestinal microflora helps people extract extra energy from the food they eat and is key in the synthesis of vitamins K and B.
Anyone interested in good health knows that dietary fiber, found in whole grains , fruits and vegetables, should be taken daily with food . The knowledge that fiber is very useful for humans is constantly spreading on the Internet. Early in the morning, however, the choice between tough and tasteless oatmeal and the fragrant toast with butter makes it difficult to make a rational decision.
This can change if people realize that the fibers are not actually intended for them , but for their intestinal microbiome. By itself, the human body cannot break down or benefit from plant fibers. However, the microorganisms living in each person's gut can perform this function. This benefits both them and the person, who effortlessly receives additional nutrients and energy .
The standard recommended dose for fiber intake in Europe is about 25 grams per day. However, most Europeans take only 10 grams.
Tens of billions of microorganisms, including more than 1,000 different species of bacteria known to science, live in the gut system of a healthy person at any given time. Their total weight can reach 2 kilograms , and while 1/3 of the bacteria in this huge biomass are typical for most people, the other 2/3 are specific to each individual.
They live in symbiosis with the human body - help digest substances not broken down in the stomach and small intestine, participate in the biosynthesis of vitamins K and B , protect the digestive system from aggressive pathogens ingested with food and have a barrier effect to help the immune system.
The intestinal flora can be seen as an "acquired" organ - people are born with a sterile gastrointestinal system, acquire and develop their intestinal microbiome over decades, and sometimes a lifetime.
The intake of plant fibers is especially favorable for them, because with their decomposition they reach microbially available carbohydrates - their favorite food. They perform complex fermentation processes with them, and the released product, comparable to fuel for energy production, does not remain only for bacteria - a significant part of it passes through the intestinal epithelium and feeds the person with energy.
A study published on January 13, 2016 in the journal Nature states that insufficient fiber intake significantly reduces the quantity and quality of the intestinal microflora, which is rapidly dying of starvation and fierce competition for microbially available carbohydrates. Even more worrying is how this affects future generations . Individuals taking fiber well below the recommended amount lose 30% to 60% of the bacterial diversity in their gut, leading to an even greater reduction in bacterial diversity in their children.
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