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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474 - ‘Prebiotic inulin-type fructans induce specific changes in the human gut microbiota’. BMJ Gut. 66 (11); 1968-1974

Reference Number: 474

Year: 2017

Authors: Doris Vandeputte, Gwen Falony, Sara Vieira-Silva, Jun Wang, Manuela Sailer, Stephan Theis, Kristin Verbeke, Jeroen Raes

Link: Link to original paper

Health: Gut Microbiome - Creating Healthier Bread to Support Optimal Gut Health

Nutrition: Prebiotic

Inclusions: Garlic | Onion

Summary

Objective Contrary to the long-standing prerequisite of inducing selective (ie, bifidogenic) effects, recent findings suggest that prebiotic interventions lead to ecosystem-wide microbiota shifts. Yet, a comprehensive characterisation of this process is still lacking. Here, we apply 16S rDNA microbiota profiling and matching (gas chromatography mass spectrometry) metabolomics to assess the consequences of inulin fermentation both on the composition of the colon bacterial ecosystem and faecal metabolites profiles.

Design Faecal samples collected during a double-blind, randomised, cross-over intervention study set up to assess the effect of inulin consumption on stool frequency in healthy adults with mild constipation were analysed. Faecal microbiota composition and metabolite profiles were linked to the study’s clinical outcome as well as to quality-of-life measurements recorded.

Results While faecal metabolite profiles were not significantly altered by inulin consumption, our analyses did detect a modest effect on global microbiota composition and specific inulin-induced changes in relative abundances of Anaerostipes, Bilophila and Bifidobacterium were identified. The observed decrease in Bilophila abundances following inulin consumption was associated with both softer stools and a favourable change in constipation-specific quality-of-life measures.

Conclusions Ecosystem-wide analysis of the effect of a dietary intervention with prebiotic inulin-type fructans on the colon microbiota revealed that this effect is specifically associated with three genera, one of which (Bilophila) representing a promising novel target for mechanistic research.

Significance of this study to the Baker:

This this human study, they find that the gut microbiome is positively affected by the consumption of the prebiotic inulin-type fructans. Some examples of prebiotic foods that provide a source of inulin-type fructans include high quality wheat, onions, garlic, leek and bananas. So you may like to try our Red Onion & Garlic Relish recipe, along with our Cheese & Onion Potato Sourdough Flatbreads to boost your levels of Bifidobacterium and other beneficial bacteria in your gut.

Take a look at our courses at The Sourdough School

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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