Prebiotic sodas are being marketed as a tool for boosting gut health through fiber intake, but experts suggest that dietary tweaks could be more beneficial.

The big picture: Gut microbes, that are fed by fiber, are critical for human health and are linked to controlling blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol and inflammation, and reducing the risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
* High fiber diets feed gut microbes, leading to a diverse microbiome, which in turn positively impacts overall health.
* A low fiber diet can cause a decline in gut diversity and induce various health issues including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and even gut inflammation.

The catch: Despite the current trend in prebiotic sodas, the added fiber typically found in them doesn’t include all the same health benefits that naturally fiber-rich foods offer.
* One of the common fibers used in these sodas, inulin, is simpler in structure than those naturally found in food, leading to quicker fermentation and potentially failing to feed all gut microbes.
* High doses of inulin could increase inflammation in healthy adults according to a study co-authored by Justin Sonnenburg, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University.

Words of advice: Experts recommend focusing on eating a variety of plant-based foods to naturally enhance fiber intake and gut health.
* Hannah Holscher, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois, suggests consuming many different kinds of fibers found in foods like oats, wheats, barley, celery, and different fruits and vegetables.
* Adding more fiber into your daily habits doesn’t have to be hard – it can be as simple as eating avocado slices, adding chia seeds to your yogurt or swapping salad ingredients to more fiber-rich ones like cabbages or kale.

View original article on NPR

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