The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.

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103 - ‘Fructans and Free Fructose content of Common Australian Vegetables and Fruit’. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 55, 16, (6619–6627)

Reference Number: 103

Year: 2007

Authors: JANE G. MUIR,* SUSAN J. SHEPHERD, OURANIA ROSELLA, ROSEMARY ROSE, JACQUELINE S. BARRETT, AND PETER R. GIBSON

Link: Link to original paper

Health: IBS

Nutrition: Fibre

Intolerance & Sensitivity: FODMAPS

Summary

Introduction

Fructans are not digested in the small intestines of humans. While many health benefits have been attributed to these carbohydrates, they can cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals.

Aim

This study aimed at measuring the amount of fructans (non-digestible carbohydrate) in a variety of fruits and vegetables sourced from Australia.

Method

We measured the total fructans in 60 vegetables and 43 fruits using the Megazyme fructan assay.

Results

Vegetables with the highest quantity of fructans included garlic, artichoke, shallots, leek bulb, and onions (range, 1.2-17.4 g/100 g). Fruits with low, but detectable, fructans included longon, white peach, persimmon, and melon (range, 0.21-0.46 g/100 g). The fructan assay was modified to provide an estimate of the average chain length (degree of polymerization) for high fructan vegetables. D-Fructose can also be malabsorbed in the small intestine of humans, so the D-fructose content in some foods was measured to supplement the current food tables.

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY

This study provides us a summary of high and low fructans containing fruits and vegetables. This information could be useful for those individuals who have been advised to follow a low FODMAPs diet since they are unable to digest short chain carbohydrates such as fructans  present in a variety of foods.

Please note: The information provided in this study can be used as a guideline only.  Please consult your dietitian if you wish to follow a low FODMAP diet.

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All reasonable care is taken when advising about health aspects of bread, but the information that we share is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

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