fibre in the modern diet
have changed the rules of the game consumption (though variable seasonal- of fibre (~50 to 90 g/d, minimum), and
between ‘us and them’ in such a way as ly) of 10, 15 and often more than 20 g/d that much of our health is tied to the
to possibly disrupt the organic harmony from desert plants such as agave, prickly maintenance of a healthy population of
that evolved in this symbiotic relationship pear, sotol, wild onions and so forth. gut bacteria, should serve as a wake up
to a nutritional tipping point. Dozens of peer-reviewed studies have call for new therapeutic approaches to
The emergence of prebiotics as a shown that test subjects who consumed health. We don’t need yet another diet
‘super fibre’ of sorts is just one example of between five to 20 g/d of prebiotic fibre, for us, but desperately need a diet for
the importance of diversity of fibre in the mainly in the form of inulin and fructo- our entire “super-organism’ – both us and
human diet. The steady clip of scientific oligosaccharides derived from chicory them.
papers demonstrating the health benefits roots, were able to stimulate the growth Even though humans evolved from
of prebiotics is fascinating as we are of ‘good’ bacteria and increase calcium nothing more than a run-of-the-mill
literally peaking under the evolutionary absorption, blunt hunger, relieve symp- large mammal on an open savannah
curtain of our nutritional past. toms of irritable bowel syndrome, reduce of other large mammals, to something
Unlike probiotics, which are live micro- biomarkers of some cancers, reduce in- of a geological force in an evolutionary
bial organisms that are naturally present flammation through various mechanisms, blink of an eye, we owe much of our
in the human body, prebiotics are literally improve immunity, and fortify our natural current success as a species to these tiny
food for probiotics. While many fibres defences against many food-borne microorganisms. They require little more
claim to be prebiotics, true prebiotics pathogens: the list goes on. than a safe place to live and a steady
selectively stimulate the growth of certain It would be a mistake to look at the flow of the quantity and diversity of fibre
probiotics known to be beneficial to hu- science and health benefits emerging that they and their microbial ancestors
mans, such as bifidobacterium and lacto- from clinical benefits of prebiotics as a evolved on.
bacillus, while not promoting the growth new discovery of some magic bullet. Continuing to ignore our shared
of less useful or even harmful strains, such More correctly we are simply witnessing nutritional past with our tiny friends and
as clostridium. a rediscovery of the importance of the adhering to the very human-like notion
Even though prebiotic fibres are pres- diversity of fibre in human diet and, spe- that we are somehow separate from na-
ent in more than 30,000 edible plants cifically, the role these particular fibres ture will only result in progression of many
throughout the world, American and play in the health and well-being of gut human diseases to levels that will require
European diets only include one to three bugs. the medical community to seek new
g/d – sometimes a little more, sometimes The exciting science behind prebiotics vernacular to describe the public health
a little less. When we look into the ar- coupled with the underlying biological hardships that potentially lie ahead. Fibre
chaeological record, like the west Texas reality that humans are still designed to anyone?
example discussed above, we see daily ferment a large and diverse quantity
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