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Health See other Health Articles Title: ²-glucan-enriched pasta helps good gut bacteria, lowers cholesterol Researchers said the study is further evidence of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Breads made with supplemental levels of beta glucons met researchers expectations by increasing good bacteria in the gut and having an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. BARI, Italy, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- In their search for foods that encourage the growth of good bacteria in the gut, researchers found that eating ²-glucan-enriched pasta increased populations of the bacteria -- as well as reduced levels of LDL, or bad, cholesterol. ²-glucans, or beta glucans, are healthy sugars found in the cell walls of certain microbes and in the bran of cereal grains such as oats and barley. Already used in the treatment of diabetes, cancer and high cholesterol, the sugars are also known to have a positive effect on the immune system. "These results highlight the influence of fibers and of the Mediterranean diet on gut microbiota, and indirectly on human health," said Dr. Maria De Angelis, a professor at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, in a press release. Researchers took blood and fecal samples from study participants before putting them on a two-month diet that included a daily, 100-gram serving of pasta made from a mixture of 75 percent durum wheat flour and 25 percent whole grain barley flour that contained three grams of barley ²-glucans. When comparing the pre-study samples with those taken at the end of two months, researchers found participants had noticeably higher levels of Lactobacilli, and lower levels of Enterobacteriaceae and other non-essential bacteria, in their guts. In addition to the bacterial changes, the researchers found increases in certain short chain fatty acids, 2-methyl-propanoic, acetic, butyric, and propionic acids, bacterial metabolites, which is indicative of anti-inflammatory activity in the body. The participants' average LDL cholesterol also dropped from 107.4 to 93.8 mg per deciliter. De Angelis pegged the supplementary beta glucons' benefit to an overall benefit seen in the Mediterranean diet, which includes healthy amounts of whole grains as a staple, and has been shown to lower the risk of stroke, heart attack and, possibly, breast cancer. The study is published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Like Us on Facebook for more stories from UPI.com Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
This is all great, but what brand(s) are made from these ingredients?
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
Just keep checking label for durum wheat flour and whole grain barley flour as the main ingredients.
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