03 Feb New Meaning of “You Are What Your Eat”
New Meaning of “You Are What Your Eat”
by Ashleigh Feltham, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist.
The evidence for plant-based foods supporting the gut is well known. Plants provide prebiotic fibre, which feeds health-promoting microbes and encourages microbial diversity.
You may also know about probiotic dietary microbes, like yoghurt, cheese, kombucha and fermented vegetables. But did you know that microbes exist in many other foods including meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and fermented seeds.
Researchers have recently created a catalogue of microbes present in 2,533 foods. Hundreds of these microbes are newly discovered.
Scientists discovered that only a small number of microbes are harmful to your health, such as Staphylococcus aureus and E.coli. Many microbes provide a positive or neutral effect on your health.
Interestingly, some microbes alter the taste of a food. This would explain why an apple past its prime may taste bitter or unpleasant.
This piece of research is exciting as it provides insight into the types of microbes present in food when the quality or level of preservation changes. So, the types of microbes present when you enjoy your bowl of overnight oats topped with yoghurt and fresh fruit in the morning are different to when the same breakfast is past its prime.
This research would be useful in the food industry. Food preservation techniques can improve, reducing spoilage and potentially enhancing the detection of pathogens in food.
Microbes detected also change depending on where the food was grown or made. This means the assessment of microbes could identify the food’s origin. This could be used to identify locations where food quality needs improvement.
You may wonder what impact these microbes have on your own gut microbiome. While some remain in your gut for just a few weeks, this is not always the case. The number of microbes that remain stable in the gut of an infant can be as high as 56% and for an adult around 3%.
This illustrates the importance of stable food quality, especially the microbes present. One way to ensure consistency in taste and texture as well as food stability is to opt for long-life foods.
Long-life foods with quality ingredients allow you to enjoy safe food anywhere, with or without refrigeration. Sachets and cans are perfect to have in your kitchen cupboard, work desk, locker or fridge, or to take on a camping trip.
Take home message
Microbes have a new level of importance and impact on the health of your body. You are what you eat, and that includes the microbes present in everything you consume.
References:
- South Australian Gourmet Food Company.
- Carlino, Niccolò et al. “Unexplored microbial diversity from 2,500 food metagenomes and links with the human microbiome.” Cell, S0092-8674(24)00833-X. 16 Aug. 2024, doi:10.1016/j.cell.2024.07.039