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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Carbohydrate-LDL double whammy

Carbohydrate-LDL double whammy

9. July 2010 William Davis (14)
Carbohydrates in the diet trigger formation of small LDL particles. Because carbohydrates, such as products made from wheat, increase triglycerides and triglyceride-containing lipoproteins (chylomicrons, chylomicron remnants, VLDL, and IDL), LDL particles (NOT LDL cholesterol) become triglyceride-enriched. Triglyceride-enriched LDL particles are "remodeled" by the enzyme, hepatic lipase, into triglyceride-depleted, small LDL particles.

The list of reasons why small LDL particles are more atherogenic, i.e., plaque-causing, is long:

--Small LDL particles, being smaller, more readily penetrate the endothelial barrier of the arterial wall.
--Small LDL particles are more adherent to glycosaminoglycans in the artery wall.
--Small LDL particles are poorly taken up by the liver LDL receptor, but enthusiastically taken up by macrophage receptors of the sort in your artery walls.
--Because of their poor liver clearance, small LDL persists in the bloodstream far longer than large LDL.
--Small LDL particles are more oxidation-prone. Oxidized LDL are more likely to trigger inflammatory phenomena and be taken up by macrophages in the artery wall.

Let me add another reason why small LDL particles are more likely to cause plaque: They are more likely to undergo glycation. (More on glycation here.)

Glycation occurs when glucose (sugar) molecules in the blood or tissue modify proteins, usually irreversibly. Small LDL particles are uniquely glycation-prone. (This is likely due to a conformational change of the apoprotein B in the small LDL particle, exposing lysine residues along apo B that become glycated.)

Here's a great demonstration of this phenomenon by Younis et al:


"LDL3" is the small type. Note that small LDL particles are 4-5 times more glycated than large LDL. That's a big difference.

Once glycated, small LDL is especially resistant to being taken up by the liver. Like annoying in-laws, they hang around and hang around and . . . The longer they hang around, they more opportunity they have to contribute to plaque formation.

So, carbohydrates trigger formation of small LDL particles. Once formed, small LDL particles are glycated when blood sugar increases. While LDL can be glycated even when blood sugars are in the normal range (90 mg/dl or less), glycation goes berserk when blood sugars go higher, such as a blood sugar of 155 mg/dl after a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal.
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Comments (14) -

  • Tony

    7/9/2010 4:06:01 PM |

    I used diet and supplements instead of a statin to control my cholesterol, and my recent VAP test indicated I had "large buoyant" LDL. We know statins reduce LDL and inflammation, but do they affect particle size?

  • Red Sphynx

    7/9/2010 4:26:18 PM |

    Does increasing dietary fiber have a significant effect on the abundance of of LDL3, or its oxidation or glycation?

    My reasoning is that the gut reabsorbs cholesterol and returns it to the gall bladder.  The gall bladder taps the liver for the make-up cholesterol.  The liver draws LDL out of the blood when it needs cholesterol.  Sooo... fiber decreases re-absorption of cholesterol  This  ought to, eventually, decrease the time that LDL3 particles circulate before the liver grabs them.

    But I don't know if it works out that way, or if the effect is negligible.  Can you say?

  • Hans Keer

    7/9/2010 5:09:58 PM |

    As far as I'm concerned, you cannot say enough bad things about carbohydrates, but unfortunately they are not responsible for the formation of chylomicrons and chylomicron remnants. Chylomicrons consist mainly of dietary fat.

  • Anonymous

    7/9/2010 10:49:58 PM |

    Assuming you can't measure your LDL particle sizes, would a low (<2) Triglicerides  ratio to HDL be a good indicator whether you have predominately Pattern A (awesome) or B (bad)?

  • MADBOB

    7/10/2010 12:18:03 AM |

    Hi Can someone please tell me if
    ALL BRAN cereal being all bran and insoluble fiber is the same as eating wheat products?  

    Thanks

  • Randy

    7/10/2010 8:51:13 AM |

    Hi Doctor Davis,

    I have two questions.

    1. How would you compare rice (unpolished but non brown) to other carbohydrates (non gluten based)?

    2. How far does the fermenting/sourdough making process make wheat or other gluten containing carbs a healthier choice?

    Thanks.

  • Anonymous

    7/10/2010 1:58:31 PM |

    A question for Dr Davis: Do you screen for pregnenolone deficiency?  If so, do you recommend pregnenolone supplements, in addition or in lieu of dhea?

    As a male, age 60+, I read TYP and  got the calcium scoring exam, which fortunately was zero percent.  Also had the carotid artery ultrasound which said no plaque (visual inspection).

    Got me to wondering why I (apparently) have no plaque.

    Well, twenty years ago when I was suffering arthritis joint pain I read Dr. Regelson's book the Super-Hormone Promise. (Still available on Amazon.) He discussed using pregnenlone as an arthritis treatment. So, I got the blood test and I discovered that I had a 100% deficiency of pregnenolone!

    I've been taking 500 mg a day of LEF's pregnenolone ever since. Blood levels back to normal immediately and no joint pain. (Re hormones, I also take 25 mg dhea and about 10 mg of melatonin at night.)

    My speculation is that perhaps supplementing my hormones at an earlier age, when serious deficiencies were starting to develop, helped keep my arteries healthy. On the other hand, it could be something else of course. Just my two cents!

  • Anonymous

    7/10/2010 4:27:18 PM |

    I got a good chuckle from the in-laws reference.  Thanks!

    Char

  • Anna

    7/10/2010 6:52:39 PM |

    Madrob:

    Yes.

    If you are consuming All Bran cereal, you are consuming wheat, though the bran doesn't have the starchiness that refined wheat and whole wheat flour have.  But the bran presents other problematic properties.  

    If you must supplement with a refined fiber product (for regularity, belief that high fiber diets are healthful, etc.), consider instead soluble fiber such as inulin and/or pectin (and whole foods which contain soluble fiber, such as onions, leeks, apples, sunchokes, etc.).  

    See Dr. Art Ayer's (Ph.D. researcher, not an MD) blog Cooling Inflammation  for fascinating discussions on feeding and promoting healthy gut bacteria populations ("inner gardens") with soluble fiber.

  • Anonymous

    7/11/2010 5:36:05 PM |

    happy to see denise mingers study featured here. Smile

    wheat asides, milk pasteurised or uht causes a pretty massive immune system flare up for me.

  • Anonymous

    7/13/2010 4:06:07 PM |

    Dr. Davis, I emailed you on this but figured I'd post this study in response to this.

    Can you comment on the following study ?

    4) Schaefer EJ.  Body weight and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol changes after consumption of a low-fat ad libitum diet. JAMA. 1995 Nov 8;274(18):1450-5.

  • Adult Diaper

    7/15/2010 3:48:53 PM |

    Eversures incontinence underwear that fits your lifestyle. The best selling, patented, washable and reusable bladder control garments.  More products can be view at Adult Diaper

  • Anonymous

    7/22/2010 11:36:58 AM |

    can you decipher this new research for us? older women with low HDL are nore likely to be depressed, as well as more likely to have heart problems. Older men (over 65)with low LDL are more likely to be depressed, especially if their serotonin transport gene doesn't work efficiently.
    http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=81683&CultureCode=en
    Research from ESPRIT study in Biological Psychiatry Journal (sobp.org/journal)

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