http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080627163121.htm
Prebiotic Potential Of Almonds
ScienceDaily (July 1, 2008) ‹ Almonds, as well as being high in vitamin
E and other minerals, are also thought to have other health benefits,
such as reducing cholesterol. Recently published work by the Institute
of Food Research has identified potential prebiotic properties of
almonds that could help improve our digestive health by increasing
levels of beneficial gut bacteria.
Our digestive system maintains large population of bacteria that live in
the colon. Prebiotics are non-digestible parts of foods that these
bacteria can use to fuel their growth and activity. These 'good'
bacteria form part of our body's defence against harmful bacteria and
play a role in the development of body's immune system. The prebiotics
work by stimulating the growth of these bacteria. However, in order to
get to where they are needed prebiotics must be able to get through the
upper part of the intestine without being digested or absorbed by the
body.
Funded by the Almond Board of California, IFR scientists first used the
Model Gut, a physical and biochemical simulator of the gastro-intestinal
tract, to subject almonds to the same conditions experienced in the
stomach and small intestine. They then added the digested almonds to an
in vitro batch system to mimic the bacterial fermentation in the large
intestine and monitored its effect on the populations of intestinal
bacteria.
The study, published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, found
that finely ground almonds significantly increased the levels of certain
beneficial gut bacteria. This effect was not seen when the fat content
was removed from the almond preparation, suggesting that the beneficial
bacteria use the almond lipid for growth, and this is the basis for the
prebiotic effect of almonds.
Previous studies have shown that the amount of available lipid is
reduced if the almonds are not processed, for example by grinding as in
this study or by chewing. The length of time the almond spends in the
digestive system also affects the amount of available lipids and
proteins. More detailed studies on the digestibility of almonds are now
required, and the prebiotic effect of almond lipids needs to be tested
in human volunteers.
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Journal reference:
1. Mandalari et al. Investigation of the potential prebiotic properties
of almond (Amygdalus communis L.) seeds. Applied and Environmental
Microbiology, 2008; DOI: 10.1128/AEM.00739-08
Adapted from materials provided by Norwich BioScience Institutes.
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