Why fibre can be bad for some people’s gut
Live MintA recent study has revealed the role of dietary fibre and gut microbes in people with inflammatory bowel disease, a finding which could lead to personalized dietary guidelines. The research team discovered that certain types of dietary fibre cause an inflammatory response in some patients, causing symptoms to worsen. "We know there are health benefits to consuming dietary fibres, and they promote good gut health in healthy individuals, but IBD patients quite frequently complain about a sensitivity when they consume dietary fibres," says Heather Armstrong, who started the research as a postdoctoral researcher at the U of A and is now an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in Integrative Bioscience. Fibre has a beneficial anti-inflammatory effect in most healthy people and aids with digestion, but researchers have found that select unfermented fibres actually increase inflammation and worsen symptoms in some IBD patients.