Case Adams, Contributing Writer11.01.12
There was a time when fiber was mostly about constipation. Then came findings that fiber increases glucose control and helps prevent type 2 diabetes. This was followed by research showing fiber has cardiovascular benefits, including cholesterol reduction.
Now a new reality has taken hold: Many fibers are in fact prebiotic, and therein may lie a major reason why they are so beneficial. Fiber is feed for our gut’s microorganisms.
“Prebiotic fibers are now incorporated into a wide range of food ingredients and therefore are becoming a big part of everyday diets,” said Glenn Gibson, PhD, professor of Food Microbial Sciences at the U.K.’s University of Reading.
This summer, Dr. Gibson and associates conducted a study of 55 healthy adults to determine the prebiotic role of arabinoxylan-oligosaccharide—a component of wheat bran. After three weeks of eating the bran extract in breakfast cereal, the research found arabinoxylan-oligosaccharide s
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