Articles

Food for Bacteria: Dietary Fibres Keep Gut Healthy

P D Gupta^1* and Chetana Rajyaguru^2
1Former, Director Grade Scientist, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
²Department of Microbiology, MVM Science and Home Science Collage, Rajkot, India.
Article Info:
Received Date: 27 March 2025, Accepted Date: 03 April 2025, Published Date: 07 April 2025
*Corresponding author: P D Gupta, Former, Director Grade Scientist, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
Citation: P D Gupta and Chetana Rajyaguru. (2025). “Food for Bacteria: Dietary Fibres Keep Gut Healthy”. International Journal of Medical Research and Medical Case Reports, 2(2); DOI: http;/04.2025/IJMRMCR/021.
Copyright: © 2025 P D Gupta. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4. 0 international License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Abstract:

Certain bacteria play an important role in human health, such as supplying essential nutrients, synthesizing vitamin K, aiding in the digestion of cellulose, and promoting angiogenesis  for all these functions they also need food. Form of food may differ but chemical components for life are almost same. Gut bacteria draw nutrition from what we eat. Fiber serves as a prebiotic, for the good bacteria therefore we should inclue fibres in our diets. To keep the microbes happy in addition to food we should stay hydrated, physically active and get enough sleep.

Keyword: human health; food; bacteria; gut; fibres.

Introduction:
Bacteria can live in hotter and colder temperatures than humans, but they do best in a warm, moist, protein-rich environment that is pH neutral or lightly acidic; they get carbon and energy source from Dietary fibres. Dietary fibre is a non-digestible carbohydrate found in foods [1]. They are of 4 types.

• Dietary fibre is naturally present in plants that we eat.
• Added fibre is fibre that manufacturers add to some products to increase their health benefits.
• Soluble fibres are water soluble and therefore digestible. These dissolves in water to form a gel-like material and can be metabolized by the “good” bacteria in the gut. It can help lower blood cholesterol and glucose levels. Soluble fibre is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium.
• Insoluble does not dissolve in water fibres are not digestible.

Soluble dietary fibres have prebiotic effects by increasing the beneficial bacteria and improving the intestinal environment. Perhaps a more helpful way to categorize fibre is as fermentable versus non-fermentable, which refers to whether friendly gut bacteria can use it or not. It’s important to keep in mind that there are many different types of fibre. Some of them have important health benefits, while others are mostly useless. Health authorities recommend that men and women eat 38 and 25 grams of fibre per day, respectively. Many of different health effects are mediated by the gut microbiota. Some top choices to add to the diet are chickpeas, lentils, split peas, oats, apples, pears, almonds, chia seeds, Brussels sprouts, and avocado. However, it’s essential to balance the nutrients in your diet. It is necessary to consider the number of calories and other nutrients per 100 g of a food, not just the fibre [2].

Benefits of Fibre:

In the past, experts  used the term fibre to describe a type of carbohydrate the body couldn’t digest. More recently, scientists have found that some digestible substances also share properties with fibre, which makes fibre harder to define.

Fiber has a range of possible health benefits, such as: promoting weight loss, lowering blood sugar, fighting constipation, boosting heart health.  Eating a plant-based diet that includes fermented foods and fiber from colourful fruits and vegetables also keep bacteria happy [3]. Feeding friendly gut bacteria with dietary fibre can offer the following benefits:

Reducing cholesterol:

Fiber in the digestive tract can help reduce the body’s cholesterol absorption, especially if you take statins and use fiber supplements, such as psyllium fibre. · Promoting a healthy weight: High fiber foods like fruits and vegetables tend to be lower in calories. Fiber can also slow digestion to help you feel fuller for longer.

 Preventing constipation

Fiber can speed up digestion and prevent constipation. Insoluble fibre adds bulk to the digestive tract, as your body doesn’t digest it. This stimulates the intestines.

Managing blood sugar:

The body takes longer to break down high fibre foods, which means glucose does not enter the bloodstream so quickly. This helps to maintain more consistent blood sugar levels

 Diet for bacteria:

Gut-friendly diet: Prawn and avocado salad with miso dressing are the types of food like by bacteria. Try this salad for a lighter lunch or dinner – it's loaded with greens, cucumber and radishes, which offer a variety of soluble and insoluble fibres to support bacterial diversity in the gut. In many food items such as Yoghurt provides us live bacteria.  an excellent source of so-called friendly bacteria, also known as probiotics such as Kefir.  Miso. Sauerkraut. Kimchi. Sourdough. Almonds. Olive oil etc. [4].

A “western” diet that's high in fat and sugar and low in fiber can kill certain types of gut bacteria, making microbiota less diverse [5].

Limit use of antibiotics, which can wipe out healthy bacteria along with problematic bacteria, to only when necessary. In addition to diet one can keep bacteria healthy, too little sleep lack of physical activity. eating too many ultra-processed foods.  Smoking and drinking alcohol and managing stress levels are other ways to support a healthy gut [7].

 Drinks for gut health:

Some drinks, particularly fermented ones like kombucha and kefir, can promote the growth of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in the gut, contributing to a healthier gut microbiome. Other drinks, like sugary drinks, can disrupt the microbiome and promote the growth of harmful bacteria. Fruit-based probiotic drinks, fermented vegetables like sauerkraut and kimchi, kombucha, water kefir, and non-dairy yogurt prepared from plant-based milk are all prominent non-dairy sources of probiotics. These commodities are high in beneficial bacteria and can be used in a balanced diet to help with digestion. Ultra-processed drinks are beverages formulated from ingredients resulting from industrial processes, often containing added sugars, artificial colours, and preservatives, and are linked to increased risks of non-communicable diseases. They tend to have a low nutrient but high energy density, meaning they provide a lot of calories with limited nutritional value [8]. Kombucha. Kombucha is made by fermenting sweetened tea with probiotic microorganisms called SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) [9].

• Ginger tea. Ginger is a zesty spice found in many foods and drinks.
•  Kefir. Kefir is an ancient fermented beverage.
• Apple cider vinegar.
• Green tea.

Food Sustainability:

Bacteria play a crucial role in sustainability by enabling processes like bioremediation, nutrient cycling, and energy production, making them valuable tools for addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable practices.

 Protecting crops: Bacteria can help control plant pathogens, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and promoting sustainable agriculture [10].

 Food fermentation:

Fermentation is the breakdown of carbs like starch and sugar by bacteria and yeast and an ancient technique of preserving food. Common fermented foods include kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, tempeh, kombucha, and yogurt. These foods may reduce heart disease risk and aid digestion, immunity, and weight loss [11-13].

Food fermentation is a process using microorganisms, primarily bacteria like lactic acid bacteria (LAB), to convert carbohydrates into alcohol or acids, acting as a natural preservative and enhancing flavor and texture. Bacteria are essential for producing fermented foods like yogurt, cheese, and bread, contributing to food security and diversity. 

Weight Management:

 Bifidobacteriaand Akkermansia are beneficial species of bacteria that help maintain a healthy gut barrier and prevent inflammatory chemicals from passing from the gut into the bloodstream [14] Studies in mice have found that Akkermansia can reduce weight gain and insulin resistance by reducing inflammation [15].