The prebiotic benefits of sustained fibre on Gut health

The prebiotic benefits of sustained fibre on Gut health

Sustained fibre (known as resistant starch) is a slow release carbohydrate, and in fact most of the carbohydrates in your diet are starches. Resistant starches are long chains of glucose that are found in potatoes, rice, cereal and various foods.

Resistant starch is a type of starch that is “resistant” to digestion. So this type of starch functions kind of like soluble fibre. Normally enzymes in your small intestine digest starches and turn them into the sugar glucose. However, resistant starch moves through the stomach and small intestine undigested and arrives in the large intestine intact.

Once it reaches the large intestine the resistant starch, like the one in PREPD, can function as a prebiotic and provide numerous benefits for gut and immune health. Prebiotics are what the good bacteria (probiotics) in your gut eats and promotes a healthy intestinal microbial balance. Prebiotics help increase the numbers of good bacteria, such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, while at the same time suppressing the growth of detrimental (or bad) bacteria.  In addition, the stimulation of the bacteria in the gut by resistant starches can enhance the absorption of micro-nutrients, such as calcium, and can also improve energy recovery, better immune system, nutrient utilisation and metabolism in the body.