In my last post I reviewed the research on a variety of alternative sugars reaching the conclusion that many had the same effective as antibiotics according to PubMed studies. This morning, I was listening to this weeks edition of the Economist (on newsstands soon – I download from the UK).
Some of the articles are available on http://www.economist.com/ this morning.
- How the bacteria in your gut may be shaping your waistline
- Swelling waistlines may make people live longer, but sicker
- Special report on obesity: The world is getting wider. What can be done about it?
Fruit has historically (especially for Northern Europeans) has been a seasonal food. The sugar hit was for a few weeks a year and that was it. Today, it is 7 days/week, 52 weeks a year in “healthy eating” households. This intake of sugar (be it from fruit, fruit juices or pop) has significant impact on the microbiome and thus on a wide variety of metabolic diseases, especially diabetes. A few quotes
“One debate concerns the villainy of glucose, which is found in starches, and fructose, found in fruits, table sugar and, not surprisingly, high-fructose corn syrup. Diets with a high “glycaemic index”, raising glucose levels in the blood, seem to promote metabolic problems.”
“a study published inNature Communications by Richard Johnson, of the University of Colorado, explains that glucose may do its harm, in part, through its conversion to fructose.”
“The other study put 49 overweight participants on a high-fibre diet. Those who began with fewer bacterial species saw an increase in bacterial diversity and an improvement in metabolic indicators. This was not the case for those who already had a diverse microbiome, even when fed the same diet.”
- Remember — I have been plugging non-GMO REAL German Rye Bread (imported from Europe and often cheaper than some breads made locally). This is a high-fibre source. Also porridge! Breakfast cereals on the other hand are real bad.
” Fed the proper diet, a person with more vacancies may see the jobs filled by helpful bacteria”
” Fed an identical diet, the mice with bacteria from an obese twin became obese, whereas mice with bacteria from a thin twin remained lean.”
So, reflect carefully before you pick up that next piece of fruit at the market…. Is your body asking for it OR are you responding to prior conditioning?