How the food you eat affects your gut - Shilpa Ravella
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0:07 - 0:13Trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi
live on or inside of us, -
0:13 - 0:15and maintaining a good, balanced
relationship with them -
0:15 - 0:17is to our advantage.
-
0:17 - 0:20Together, they form the gut microbiome,
-
0:20 - 0:25a rich ecosystem that performs a variety
of functions in our bodies. -
0:25 - 0:29The bacteria in our guts
can break down food the body can't digest, -
0:29 - 0:31produce important nutrients,
-
0:31 - 0:32regulate the immune system,
-
0:32 - 0:36and protect against harmful germs.
-
0:36 - 0:38We don't yet have the blueprint
-
0:38 - 0:42for exactly which good bacteria
a robust gut needs, -
0:42 - 0:45but we do know that it's important
for a healthy microbiome -
0:45 - 0:48to have a variety of bacterial species.
-
0:48 - 0:50Many factors affect our microbiomes,
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0:50 - 0:51including our environment,
-
0:51 - 0:53medications like antibiotics,
-
0:53 - 0:58and even whether we were delivered
by C-section or not. -
0:58 - 1:01Diet, too, is emerging as one
of the leading influences -
1:01 - 1:04on the health of our guts.
-
1:04 - 1:06And while we can't control all
these factors, -
1:06 - 1:08we can manipulate the balance
of our microbes -
1:08 - 1:12by paying attention to what we eat.
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1:12 - 1:18Dietary fiber from foods like fruits,
vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains -
1:18 - 1:21is the best fuel for gut bacteria.
-
1:21 - 1:23When bacteria digest fiber,
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1:23 - 1:27they produce short chain fatty acids
that nourish the gut barrier, -
1:27 - 1:30improve immune function,
-
1:30 - 1:35and can help prevent inflammation,
which reduces the risk of cancer. -
1:35 - 1:36And the more fiber you ingest,
-
1:36 - 1:41the more fiber-digesting bacteria
colonize your gut. -
1:41 - 1:45In a recent study, scientists exchanged
the regular high-fiber diets -
1:45 - 1:47of a group of rural South Africans
-
1:47 - 1:53with the high-fat, meat-heavy diets
of a group of African-Americans. -
1:53 - 1:57After just two weeks on the high-fat,
low-fiber, Western-style diet, -
1:57 - 2:01the rural African group showed
increased inflammation of the colon, -
2:01 - 2:04as well as a decrease of butyrate.
-
2:04 - 2:08That's a short chain fatty acid thought
to lower risk of colon cancer. -
2:08 - 2:12Meanwhile, the group that switched
to a high-fiber, low-fat diet -
2:12 - 2:15had the opposite result.
-
2:15 - 2:20So what goes wrong with our gut bacteria
when we eat low-fiber processed foods? -
2:20 - 2:24Lower fiber means less fuel
for the gut bacteria, -
2:24 - 2:28essentially starving them
until they die off. -
2:28 - 2:30This results in less diversity
-
2:30 - 2:32and hungry bacteria.
-
2:32 - 2:37In fact, some can even start to feed
on the mucus lining. -
2:37 - 2:41We also know that specific foods
can affect gut bacteria. -
2:41 - 2:43In one recent microbiome study,
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2:43 - 2:45scientists found that fruits,
-
2:45 - 2:46vegetables,
-
2:46 - 2:47tea,
-
2:47 - 2:47coffee,
-
2:47 - 2:48red wine,
-
2:48 - 2:49and dark chocolate
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2:49 - 2:53were correlated with
increased bacterial diversity. -
2:53 - 2:56These foods contain polyphenols,
-
2:56 - 3:00which are naturally occurring
antioxidant compounds. -
3:00 - 3:01On the other hand,
-
3:01 - 3:03foods high in dairy fat,
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3:03 - 3:06like whole milk, and sugar-sweetened sodas
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3:06 - 3:09were correlated with decreased diversity.
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3:09 - 3:11How food is prepared also matters.
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3:11 - 3:15Minimally processed, fresh foods
generally have more fiber -
3:15 - 3:17and provide better fuel.
-
3:17 - 3:18So lightly steamed,
-
3:18 - 3:19sautéed,
-
3:19 - 3:20or raw vegetables
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3:20 - 3:23are typically more beneficial
than fried dishes. -
3:23 - 3:28There are also ways of preparing food
that can actually introduce good bacteria, -
3:28 - 3:31also known as probiotics,
into your gut. -
3:31 - 3:35Fermented foods are teeming
with helpful probiotic bacteria, -
3:35 - 3:37like lactobacillus
-
3:37 - 3:39and bifidobacteria.
-
3:39 - 3:41Originally used as a way
of preserving foods -
3:41 - 3:43before the invention of refrigeration,
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3:43 - 3:47fermentation remains a traditional
practice all over the world. -
3:47 - 3:48Foods like kimchi,
-
3:48 - 3:49sauerkraut,
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3:49 - 3:50tempeh,
-
3:50 - 3:51and kombucha
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3:51 - 3:54provide variety and vitality
to our diets. -
3:54 - 3:59Yogurt is another fermented food that can
introduce helpful bacteria into our guts. -
3:59 - 4:03That doesn't necessarily mean that
all yogurt is good for us, though. -
4:03 - 4:05Brands with too much sugar
and not enough bacteria -
4:05 - 4:08may not actually help.
-
4:08 - 4:09These are just general guidelines.
-
4:09 - 4:12More research is needed before
we fully understand -
4:12 - 4:17exactly how any of these foods
interact with our microbiomes. -
4:17 - 4:18We see positive correlations,
-
4:18 - 4:23but the insides of our guts are difficult
places to make direct observations. -
4:23 - 4:25For instance, we don't currently know
-
4:25 - 4:29whether these foods are directly
responsible for the changes in diversity, -
4:29 - 4:32or if something more complicated
is happening. -
4:32 - 4:36While we're only beginning to explore
the vast wilderness inside our guts, -
4:36 - 4:42we already have a glimpse of how crucial
our microbiomes are for digestive health. -
4:42 - 4:48The great news is we have the power
to fire up the bacteria in our bellies. -
4:48 - 4:49Fill up on fibers,
-
4:49 - 4:51fresh and fermented foods,
-
4:51 - 4:54and you can trust your gut
to keep you going strong.
- Title:
- How the food you eat affects your gut - Shilpa Ravella
- Speaker:
- Shilpa Ravella
- Description:
-
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-the-food-you-eat-affects-your-gut-shilpa-ravella
The bacteria in our guts can break down food the body can’t digest, produce important nutrients, regulate the immune system, and protect against harmful germs. And while we can’t control all the factors that go into maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, we can manipulate the balance of our microbes by paying attention to what we eat. Shilpa Ravella shares the best foods for a healthy gut.
Lesson by Shilpa Ravella, animation by Andrew Foerster.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 05:10
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for How the food you eat affects your gut - Shilpa Ravella | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for How the food you eat affects your gut - Shilpa Ravella | ||
Jessica Ruby approved English subtitles for How the food you eat affects your gut - Shilpa Ravella | ||
Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for How the food you eat affects your gut - Shilpa Ravella | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for How the food you eat affects your gut - Shilpa Ravella | ||
Jennifer Cody edited English subtitles for How the food you eat affects your gut - Shilpa Ravella |