Healing Arthritis by Susan Blum

Author:Susan Blum
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribner

Prebiotics: Phytonutrients

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Phytonutrients are the general name for healthy plant compounds. Within this are a group called polyphenols, which are believed to support gut health and are usually categorized into four classes: hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids, hydrolytic tannins, and oligomeric proanthocyanidins. Flavonoids, studied comprehensively for their role in preventing and treating diseases such as cancer and heart disease, are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, bark, roots, stems, flowers, tea, and wine, and have antioxidant, antiallergic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antidiarrheal functions. There are many kinds of flavonoids, many of which probably sound familiar, such as flavones, isoflavones, flavanones, catechins, and anthocyanins.

For example:

• Quercetin is commonly found in foods such as red wine, apples, onions, beer, spices, herbs, berries, and cocoa.

• Epigallocatechin is found in green tea.

• Hesperidin and naringenin are found in oranges.

• Apigenin and luteolin are found in beer, olive oil, aromatic herbs, and nuts.

• Genistein and daidzein, which are isoflavones, are found in soy products.

• Anthocyanins are found in red wine, grapes, berries, and pomegranates.

An estimated 90 percent to 95 percent of the total polyphenol intake can reach the colonic region without being absorbed. Researchers at Jinan University, in Guangzhou, China, found that both catechin and quercetin altered the composition of gut bacteria. Catechin suppressed Bacteroidetes, and both quercetin and catechin promoted Bifidobacterium spp.19

It appears that polyphenols and their metabolites can inhibit pathogens in the gut and stimulate beneficial bacteria, suggesting that they act as prebiotics. Therefore, the regular consumption of foods rich in phenolic compounds may beneficially balance the gut microbiota. It also appears that polyphenols are absorbed better when eaten with fat, but they may be blocked by protein and fiber and may not be well absorbed if you have altered gut flora. In one study, treating mice with antibiotics lowered the absorption of black currant anthocyanins. I find this fascinating, since my patients with dysbiosis often have high oxidative stress and low levels of antioxidants, even if they’re eating a diet full of these foods. Healthy gut bacteria not only help absorption of these nutrients but also digest and change the nutrients into something called secondary metabolites. These might have even more powerful health benefits than the original compounds.20

Let’s examine the effect of polyphenols on gut bacteria and health. Anthocyanins from cocoa and pomegranates stimulate the growth of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. In rodents, pomegranate extract and apple juice were capable of increasing Bifidobacterium levels, while the Lactobacillus count increased after they consumed apple and red beet juice instead of water. Cocoa powder reduced the growth of Bacteroidetes, Staphylococcus, and Clostridium. In healthy adults, grapeseed extract rich in proanthocyanins, cocoa-isolated phenolic compounds, and isoflavone supplements were all able to increase Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and butyrate-producing bacteria while inhibiting the growth of bacteria associated with gut dysbiosis in women. And there’s good news for red wine lovers: studies showed that the moderate consumption of red wine by healthy volunteers over a period of twenty days increased the general phylom Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and specifically Bifidobacterium and Prevotella. The

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