Sunday, June 14, 2020

Carrots for good gut bacteria

Carrots in a basket
Carrots can improve gut health.

Carrots improve your gut bacteria

Carrots help to remove bad bacteria and the endotoxins that they create from our gut. They also remove excess estrogen that cause an imbalance in hormones. The soluble fiber (like pectin) and insoluble fiber (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose) in carrots feed good gut bacteria and lead to the creation of short chain fatty acids that heal the gut lining.

Introduction

Everything that you eat (or don't eat) affects the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut. Carrots change the gut bacteria that live in our gut - and this causes positive changes to overall health.

Use this diet to increase gut bacteria biodiversity.

This is how carrots can restore your gut bacteria.
Carrots can fix your microbiome.

Carrots work in the gut to restore hormonal balance

Daniel Dowling from Thrive Global explains that the indigestible fiber from raw carrots work in the gut to restore hormonal balance and therefore help with the following issues:

1. Headaches and migraines
2. Brain fog and mental fatigue
3. Low testosterone levels
4. Dry skin
5. A whole range of digestive issues
6. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
7. Depression and irritability
8. Weight gain
9. Liver problems

Indigestible fibers correct hormonal imbalances.
Fibers fix many problems at the root.

Carrots remove endotoxins caused by bad gut bacteria

Daniel goes on to explain that carrots help to eliminate endotoxins created by bad gut bacteria. Endotoxins can reduce the amount of thyroid hormone that your body has. Carrots reduce endotoxins and therefore help thyroid production to go back to optimal levels. This will ultimately improve energy levels, metabolism, digestion and hormonal homeostasis.

The indigestible fiber sweeps the gut of endotoxins, excess estrogen and bad gut bacteria. Since this form of fiber is not easily digested or fermented, it makes the journey all the way out of your digestive tract along with the waste that tends to accumulate and wreak havoc in your gut.

The types of fiber in carrots

One cup (128 grams) of carrots contains:

- 4.6 grams of total fiber
- 2.4 grams of soluble fiber (including 1.024 grams of pectin)
- 2.2 grams insoluble fiber (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose)

Carrots have a relatively high amount of lignin and a very good amount of pectin (highest among all vegetables - 0.8% of a carrot's weight is pectin fiber).
One cup of carrots has 4.6 grams of fiber and 2.4 grams of soluble fiber.
The insoluble fibers in carrots are cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose.

Breakdown of fiber in carrots
All of this fiber feeds good gut bacteria.

This is how all of the different types of fiber in carrots will positively affect your gut microbiome:

Soluble fiber for gut bacteria

Soluble fibers make it to colon without being absorbed. Soluble fiber is considered to be the prebiotic kind of fiber that good gut microbes feed on. Beneficial gut bacteria ferment soluble fiber and turn it into short chain fatty acids. Short chain fatty acids, then, feed other good gut bacteria and heal our gut from the inside out.

Pectin for gut bacteria

Pectin increases different types of beneficial gut bacteria. Pectin consumption leads to an increase in short chain fatty acid production, acetate and butyrate. This shows that beneficial gut bacteria start to colonize the colon as a result of pectin consumption. Butyrate heals the gut and prevents leaky gut syndrome.

Lignin for gut bacteria

Bacteria that feed on lignin have cancer prevention effects. This study found that there were four types of bacteria that feed on lignin fiber.

Cellulose for gut bacteria

Science still has a lot to learn about our gut bacteria and the kinds of food that they feed on. It is commonly thought that gut bacteria thrive better on soluble fiber (like the ones listed above) and that insoluble fiber like cellulose leaves the digestive tract largely intact.

This study found that pure cellulose is partially eaten by gut bacteria. Only 15% of cellulose is digested from normal foods like carrots and the rest (85%) is excreted. Cellulose does lead to fermentation and the creation of short chain fatty acids by good gut bacteria.

Cellulose metabolism varies between individuals. In the above report, 10 healthy subjects were given pure cellulose. 73% of it, on average, was excreted via breath or feces. There was a large variation of results, though. 47% to 80% of cellulose was found in the feces, depending on the individual.

This could indicate that individual gut bacteria composition influences how much cellulose you can turn into healthy short chain fatty acids.

I would therefore conclude that the more often you eat foods that contain cellulose, the more you stimulate the good gut bacteria to grow and break it down.

Regular fiber consumption increases good gut bacteria, which increases your body's ability to tap into the health-promoting effects of fiber.
The long-term effects of fiber

Hemicellulose for gut bacteria

Hemicellulose has a positive, prebiotic effect on the gut microbiome. This study investigated the beneficial microbial effects of the fiber in both test tube and mouse experiments.

Test tube experimentation found that hemicellulose stimulated the growth of certain gut bacteria. This lead to an increase in short chain fatty acid production (markers of good gut health).

Hemicellulose consumption changed the gut microbiome in mice. The changes demonstrated a shift away from an obesity-prone gut bacteria profile.

Cholesterol, bile acids and free fatty acids were positively lowered. This indicates an improvement in cardiovascular health as a result of hemicellulose consumption. Immune function and overall well-being markers also improved.

The study concludes that hemicellulose is a valuable, potential prebiotic for both digestive and immune health.

Conclusion

Carrots therefore help to remove bad gut bacteria and encourage the growth of good gut bacteria at the same time. Do everything in moderation - even water can be bad for you if you drink too much of it.

You can increase the gut-promoting health benefits of carrots by eating other healthy plant foods like spinach, lettuce, peaches, lemon juice and green tea.

Remember to consult your medical practitioner before making any significant lifestyle changes. Stay Strong!

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