by Melida V. Pardo

Melida V. Pardo is a Cox College dietetic intern who is fully committed to help others achieve better health through nutrition. She is interested in the role of food and nutrition in promoting wellness and preventive care.

Adaptation of the Gut Microbiota to Modern Dietary Sugars and Sweeteners

Overconsumption of sugars and sweeteners is associated with an increase in the cases of disorders such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

The relationship between sugar and these disorders has been assumed to be partly via the gut microbiome. The microbiome is composed of the totality of microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi present in the gastrointestinal tract. The inference is that increased intake of sugars and sweeteners has changed the pools of carbohydrate accessible by the microbiome, forming unique environments in the gut filled by growing microbes, some of which are bacterium.

The increased prevalence of these disorders is becoming a serious public health issue that is more prevalent than infectious diseases, resulting in greater number of deaths. In both children and adults, the World Health Organization strictly endorses lowering the intake of added sugars and sweeteners to below 10 percent of the total energy consumption and proposes a further decrease to less than 5 percent.

Several studies have focused on the harmful impacts of western dietary patterns on wellbeing and the intestine. While intake of dietary fat coming from fatty foods and fried foods is well evaluated, the precise effect of sugars and sweeteners is not properly accounted for, even though refined sugars and sweeteners total up to 40 percent of daily caloric consumption within the developed nations.

Excessive intake of sugars and sweeteners is related to numerous organ and tissue dysfunctions. Both sugar and sweetener consumption and high blood pressure disturb the intestinal barrier, hence raising the permeability of the gut resulting in intense gut microbiota dysbiosis (reduction in microbial diversity), which in turn leads to disturbance in the immunity of the mucosa that facilitates the susceptibility of infections. One way to improve the health of our gut is by reducing the consumption of sugars and sweeteners and increasing probiotics and prebiotics into our diet, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, nuts, and seeds.     

Probiotics are live microorganisms that generally improve and restore the gut flora or good bacteria. Probiotics can be found in yogurt, kombucha (fermented tea drink), fermented soy, and fermented vegetables.

Prebiotics are compounds in food that induce the growth of beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Some examples of prebiotics are legumes, bananas, berries, tomatoes, artichokes, onions, garlic, broccoli, asparagus, and flax seeds.

Salads can be made into a fiber-rich prebiotic boost by adding blueberries, cranberries, cashews, and edamame. Add some Greek yogurt-based dressing to get those probiotics in and enjoy this salad with kale, lettuce, or spinach.

Read more from Healthy Connection: