What do PREbiotics do? With Dr Raylene Reimer PhD RD

The Allsorts Podcast

Have you heard of prebiotics before? In this episode of The Allsorts Podcast, we are going to talk all about prebiotics: what they are, how they work in the body and what benefits they might have for us and our gut microbiome.

As a gut health dietitian, every time I talk about prebiotics, someone stops me…don’t you mean PRO-biotics? Nope. Nope I don’t. While probiotics - the beneficial bacteria found in our gut - get most of the press, prebiotics - the energy sources for those bacteria - don’t get nearly as much attention.

Yes, that’s right: if you want your good gut bacteria to thrive, you need to feed them well. And what do they eat? Fermentable carbohydrates AKA prebiotics.

For my IBS friends, you might recognize this concept because of the low FODMAP diet for IBS. FODMAPs are, by definition, fermentable carbohydrates…and some of them are in fact, prebiotics.

So I am absolutely thrilled to introduce you to Dr Raylene Reimer PhD, registered dietitian, researcher and professor at the University of Calgary, who just so happens to be an expert on all things fibre and prebiotics. She is going to teach us everything we need to know about feeding our gut microbiome the right way.

If you’re a gut health nerd like me, I just know that you’ll get so much out of this episode and it will have you looking at roughage with a whole new appreciation.

About Dr Raylene:

Dr. Raylene Reimer is a Professor of Nutrition in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. She is also a Registered Dietitian. Dr. Reimer has an internationally recognized research program focused on the role of diet in modifying the gut microbiome and how diet and the microbiome interact to prevent and treat chronic disease. She has done extensive research on dietary fiber and particularly prebiotic fiber. She has published >195 scientific research papers and is principal inventor on several patents. Her research has been widely recognized by the media and with several national nutrition awards.

On this episode we chat about:

• What is a prebiotics, exactly, according to science
• Dietary fibre vs prebiotics
• How do prebiotics get used by our gut microbiome?
• Which foods have prebiotics?
• The number one source of prebiotics in the North American diet
• Prebiotics, the gut barrier, and inflammation
• Prebiotics and blood sugar control
• Should you take a prebiotic supplement?
• The exact dosages of prebiotics you need to have an effect for different conditions
• Is there anyone who should avoid prebiotics?

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