ULTRAPROCESSED FOOD IS WREAKING HAVOC ON YOUR GUT MICROBIOME
We hear it all the time, eat whole foods, limit processed ones. Well, what exactly is it that is so problematic about processed foods? A new hypothesis among scientists point to food additives, sugar, and lack of fiber which are likely disrupting the gut microbiome leading to a whole host of health-related issues.
A recent article from Vox offered these takeaways regarding this ongoing issue:
- Ultra-processed foods are created in a factory not from a farm or found in nature.
- It is difficult to determine what it is about ultra-processed foods that increase disease risk.
- Chemical additives
- Calories they deliver
- Lack of fiber
- “Diet is the No. 1 influencer and determinant of our gut microbiome composition,” Suzanne Devkota, director of microbiome research at the Cedars-Sinai F. Widjaja Foundation Inflammatory Bowel and Immunobiology Research Institute.
- Bland, low-fiber, high-fat diet (with ultra-processed food) = less diverse gut microbiome.
- Emulsifiers (additives that improve shelf life of processed food) and refined sugars, impair the microbial life in our gut instead of helping it flourish and can lead to inflammation.
- Sugar in ultra-processed foods may feed harmful bacteria in the gut, causing them to bloom.
- Not enough fiber in the diet leads to less production of short-chain fatty acids.
- Short-chain fatty acids have been shown to promote insulin production, to manage spikes in blood sugar, they also have anti-inflammatory effects.
- Disruption in the gut microbiome that induces more inflammation leads to the interference with leptin (which is an appetite regulating hormone). Ultimately, leading people to overeat.
If you or someone you know would like to get on the road to healthier eating and learn how powerful food as medicine can be, please contact us today. We have a fantastic team including a registered Dietitian, Nurse Practitioner, and Behavioral Counselor here to help support the use of whole foods in your diet, investigate laboratory abnormalities, and help you develop lifelong habits for improving your health and well being. Call us at 224-407-4400 or visit our website www.compgihealth.com to request an appointment with any of our providers to get started!