Have You Had Your Prebiotics Today?

11. July 2014 Lisa G (0)


Prebiotics and resistant starch may be the missing link to your digestive health. Indigestible fibers that allow healthy bowel flora to proliferate and thrive are often called prebiotics. They are also known as resistant starches, because they are resistant to human digestion. I recently had a client call the addition of resistance starch to her diet, “the missing link my body needed”.

A starch that resists digestion and reaches the large intestine becomes food for the healthy bacteria in the large intestine. These bacteria can break down and “feed on” the resistant starch thus providing the friendly bacteria with the fuel they need to survive.

Imbalance of the quantity and type of bacteria species present in the gut contributes to gastrointestinal illness, blood sugar imbalance, obesity, mood disorders, and immune system challenges.

Green unripe bananas and plantains are one of best sources for prebiotic fiber content with 27 to 30 grams of fiber in one medium banana. Green bananas are essentially inedible. They are most easily incorporated into diet by blending into a smoothie.

One mistake frequently made incorporating prebiotic fibers from bananas is consuming bananas that are too ripe. Once the banana ripens the resistant starch is degraded and become a digestible starch. Thus, no longer a good prebiotic fiber source. In fact, the riper the banana becomes the higher the glycemic (blood sugar) response.

It can be difficult to find bananas that are very green. I made several trips to my local grocery store to find these bowel flora champions. I find it helpful to ask the produce clerk to take a look at the shipment that just arrived, noting the day the shipment arrives, for the best chance to gobble up these green beauties.

In an effort to keep green bananas green I tried a few strategies. One that sounded promising was wrapping the end of the banana to prevent the ethylene gas, which ripens the fruit, from dissipating. You can see from the image this clearly did not work. After a mere two days the green bananas were no longer green. What I found works best is placing the green bananas in the fridge. This halts the ripening process. The skin of the banana will turn brown, which is normal, but the fruit inside is still good. I’ve kept bananas in my fridge for up to 8 days and they hold up well other than the brownish black discoloring that develops on the skin. The banana will be firm and require a knife to cut the skin off the banana.

If you’d like to learn more about prebiotics and strategies to support resolution of common gastrointestinal complaints read the recently release Cureality Guide to Healthy Bowel Flora by Dr. Davis. This guide is one of the many valuable resources available exclusively to Cureality.com members.
---Lisa Grudzielanek, MS, RDN,CD,CDE
Cureality Nutrition Specialist

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Lipoprotein(a): Surprising Poll Results

Lipoprotein(a): Surprising Poll Results

6. May 2008 William Davis (5)
No doubt, our little informal poll asking readers whether they have lipoprotein(a), is skewed towards people inclined to respond because they have this genetic trait.

Nonetheless, the response is telling. Of 82 respondents:

--40 (48%) said they did have Lp(a)

--16 (19%) said that they did not have Lp(a)

--26 (31%) said that they did not know whether or not they had Lp(a)


Though admittedly an informal analysis, I'd draw several conclusions from this simple "experiment".

One, while the proportion of people responding that they have Lp(a) may not be accurate, it is a prevalent genetic risk factor that, according to formal studies, is present in 17% of people with coronary or vascular disease, 11% of the broader population. This number may be even higher if the newer particle number assays (measurements) are used (with results expressed in nmol/L), since an occasional person with a "normal" Lp(a) in mg/dl (weight-based) will prove to have increased Lp(a) by nmol/L (particle number-based). (The reason for this phenomenon is not clear. It may be consequent to variation in apo(a) size, with larger apo(a) varieties of Lp(a) occasionally escaping detection .) As our little poll shows, plenty of people have Lp(a).

Two, readers of this blog tend to be highly motivated, sophisticated, and knowledgeable about health and heart disease. Yet a substantial portion--31%--did not know whether they have this crucial risk factor. That shouldn't be. The unnecessary difficulty of getting this simple blood test performed has been driven home to me repeatedly when I identify this factor in someone and then suggest that their grown children and parents, each of whom have a 50% chance of having Lp(a), be tested. It's not uncommon for a 35-year old son, for instance, to say that his doctor refused, claiming it is an unproven risk marker, or to simply say that he/she doesn't know what it is.

No doubt, just knowing whether you have Lp(a) or not is not the end of the story. Reducing Lp(a) and its associated co-factors is no easy matter. With several hundred patients in my practice with Lp(a), it occupies much of my time and energy. Sometimes it leads to enormous successes , but it can also pose a real challenge.

There should no longer be any doubt that Lp(a) is associated with significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This has been demonstrated conclusively across dozens of studies. Risk from Lp(a) is over and above that posed by other risk factors; it also amplifies the risk posed by other factors, e.g., small LDL, inflammatory phenemena, homocysteine, total LDL, low HDL.

In the world of Lp(a), our two most desperate needs for the future are:

1) Better education of physicians and the public, and

2) More effective treatment options.

Thus, our reasons to form The Lipoprotein(a) Research Foundation. Steps to gain tax-exempt status are being pursued as we speak.

I can't help but wonder whether, like vitamin D, a solution is right beneath our noses. An investment in research to fund the trials to better explore both basic science as well as practical treatment options might yield an answer more readily than we think. Wouldn't that be great?
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Comments (5) -

  • mike V

    5/6/2008 3:53:00 PM |

    Thanks for your work in achieving these goals.

    I am one of the naieve do not know my Lp(a)score.
    As I have mentioned in the past, I am fortunate to have no detectable plaque by recent CTA.
    What tests do you advocate for your patients in this circumstance?
    (I have long followed preventive nutrition similar to your advice.)
    Is age a factor? I am 72.
    Thanks again.
    mikeV

  • Ross

    5/6/2008 7:33:00 PM |

    Well, I didn't answer the poll because my Lp(a) was 16mg/dL in November and is now 12mg/dL.  So it was borderline and is heading down.

    So, do I "have" Lp(a)?  Yes.  There is Lp(a) in my blood.  But not so much that I'm worried about it.  And I do know what my Lp(a) is, so the "don't know" response isn't right.

    None of the responses seemed to fit me.  So I didn't respond.

  • Anonymous

    5/7/2008 3:17:00 AM |

    Similar for me too.  My lp(a) was 6 mg/dl in the first test, 7 mg/dl in the second and 11 mg/dl in the third.  Not quite sure what to make of this so I answered the poll "don't know."

  • Bad_CRC

    5/7/2008 3:08:00 PM |

    Ross,

    Dr. D has said that Lp(a) is not one of the markers where a normal value is 0.  In the TYP book and online library, he says that a desirable score is <30 mg/dL (again, with the caveat about mass vs. particle size).  Superko's book puts the threshold at 20, and the VAP score sheet puts it at 10.  Mine was 7 by VAP, and I took this to mean that I don't "have" Lp(a).  Sounds like you're in the same boat.  See Dr. D's response to me under "Red flags for lipoprotein(a)."

    I didn't respond to the poll simply because I didn't notice it until it was closed.

    Dr. D, out of curiosity (if you have time to respond), what percent of the population scores zero for Lp(a)?

  • Dr. William Davis

    5/8/2008 2:37:00 AM |

    bad_crc--

    Curiously, a Lp(a) of zero is rare.

    Perhaps this provides some insight, though I'm not sure precisely what.

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