Good For Your Gut

1. Good For Your Gut
Quarter 1 Education Piece

2. Ways to Improve Digestion
• Prebiotics
• Probiotics
• Fiber
• Fluid

3. Prebiotics
• What are they?
– Prebiotics are a form of fiber that serve as food
for probiotics
– They can only be metabolized by the gut
bacteria
• Examples of Prebiotics
– Bananas, oats, pectin, legumes, artichokes,
carrots, cucumbers, leeks, onions, whole wheat

4. Benefits of Prebiotics
• Selectively stimulate the growth or activity
of a limited number of bacteria in the colon
– Improve host health
• Help to increase the number of beneficial
bacteria in the gut
• Help treat diarrhea
• Support probiotics

5. Probiotics
• What are they?
– Live microorganisms which have a beneficial
effect on the host when consumed in adequate
amounts
• Examples
– Yogurt, buttermilk, aged cheese, sourdough
bread, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, kombucha

6. Benefits of Probiotics
• Probiotics survive passage through the
gastrointestinal tract and therefore have a
positive effect on the digestive system
• Aid in digestion
• Decrease risk for disease
• Dairy products containing probiotics provide
high quality nutrients including:
– Calcium, protein, and fatty acids

7. Fiber
• What is Fiber?
– Parts of plant foods that your body cannot
digest or absorb
– Also known as roughage or bulk
– Two types of fiber
• Soluble
• Insoluble

8. Benefits of a High Fiber Diet
• Normalizes bowel movements
• Lowers cholesterol levels
• Controls blood sugar levels
• Tends to be more filling and can promote a
healthy weight

9. Soluble Fiber
• Soluble fiber is able to dissolve in water and
form a gel-like substance
• Helps treat diarrhea
• Examples of soluble fiber
– Oats, peas, apples, citrus, carrots, barley

10. Insoluble Fiber
• Unable to be digested in water
• Promotes movement of material through
your digestive tract
• Adds bulk to stool to help treat constipation
– 3:1 ratio of insoluble to soluble fiber for
constipation
• Examples:
– nuts, beans, cauliflower, green beans, Brussels
sprouts, potatoes, wheat bran

11. Fluid
• Fluid aids in movement of materials through
the digestive tract
• Improves constipation
– >2L per day
• Softens stool
• Daily fluid recommendation:
– 8 8oz cups per day
• 1 cup = 8 oz
• 1 cup = 240 mL
• 8 8oz cups = 1,920 mL

12. Tips to Increase Fluid Intake
• Keep a glass of water by you throughout the
day
• Drink out of a straw
• Try drinking other sources of fluids such as tea
or fruit juice
• Eat foods with a high water content such as:
– watermelon, peaches, berries, cooked
broccoli, cooked green beans

13. Sources
• Brummit. "NCM Nutrition Care Manual Eat Right." Public Home
Page. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2002. Web. 28 June
2016.
• Foods for Health: Eating for Digestive Health. International Food
Information Council Foundation, Web. 21 June 2016.
• Kohn, Jill, MS, RDN, LDN. Probiotics. Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics, 16 November 2015. Web. 21 June 2016.
• Newgent, Jackie RDN, CDN. Prebiotics and Probiotics: Creating a
Healthier You. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 12 October
2015. Web. 21 June 2016.
• "NCM Nutrition Care Manual Eat Right." Public Home Page.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, n.d. Web. 28 June 2016.