Feeding your Microbiome - Prebiotics

​Microbiome Enhancing Foods - Prebiotics

The human microbiome consists of seperate communities of microorganisms that reside in your gut, your skin, your respiratory system and your urinary/reproductive system, and now there is growing evidence that there is also a  microbiome that lives in and interacts with your brain  and nervous system. These separate microbiomes communicate and interact to maintain physical and mental/emotional Health.
The primary or central microbiome resides in your gastrointestinal tract, which includes the stomach, the mouth, oesophagus, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine, and colon. This microbiome exerts influence over your health and wellbeing by producing essential nutrients from non-digestible fibres that fuel the digestive system, protect us from various cancers, provide us with neuroprotective chemicals and neurotransmitters, interacts with your immune system, your hormonal system and works with your body’s metabolic balance.
The diversity of your microbiome has a health enhancing effect. 
Consider this, our genes respond to the environment and produce proteins that allow us to maintain health. Within our microbiome there are around 40 000 species, all with separate DNA and variations between species of up to 50%. This means that the genetic information and adaptability to the environment far outweighs that of our genes alone, and so, the microbiome exerts a far greater influence over our health than our own genes alone.
Feeding our gut microbiome to encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria is critical to our health.
As a rule, the simplest way to feed the microbiome is to consume the colours of the rainbow in a wide variety of natural plant foods each day. 
If you are currently having health concerns you may need to consult your practitioner and be guided on protocols to restore balance to your microbiome before increasing these foods. 
Here is a general guide of foods you could include in your diet, unless otherwise advised by your qualified Healthcare Practitioner. 

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Fibre (In general)

• Fruits, vegetables, Whole grains, flax seeds

 
Resistant Starch

• Potato – roasted or steamed potato eaten when cooled contain resistant starches
• Banana – green or “just ripe” bananas contain resistant starch
• Cashew nuts – raw
• Rolled oats – uncooked (you can add some hot water to soften if desired)
• White beans
• Cooked lentils​

FOS (Fructooligosaccharides) & Inulin

• Asparagus
• Banana
• Wheat, Barley and Rye
• Garlic, onion, leek
• Jerusalem Artichoke
• Chicory root
• Dandelion greens
• Sugar beet
• Honey, Agave
• Tomato​

Polyphenols (plant pigments and flavonoids)

• Blueberries, strawberries, cranberry or cranberry extract
• Peaches, plums
• Grape seed extract
• Tea (green)
• Cocoa and chocolate (dark)

 
Other prebiotic foods

• Kiwi fruit (eat the skin), watermelon, grapefruit, pomegranate
• Dried fruits – eg dates, figs
• Green peas, snow peas
• Corn
• Red kidney beans, soy beans,
• Cashew and pistachio nuts
• Beetroot
• Fennel bulb
• Savoy cabbage, red cabbage.