Earlier this week we received a question regarding the science behind PREPD and its clinical foundations. So, we decided to get in touch with one of the founders of the science which underpins our PREPD range, Dr. Ian Brown.
Ian has been involved in research and the food industry around the world for more than 40 years. During this time he has taken a particular interest in the physiological effects and properties of resistant starches collaborating with colleagues in universities and institutes in many countries. To help facilitate this activity, at various times Ian held Professorial positions at Wollongong University, University of Colorado and Flinders University.
This activity involved breeding new plants and developing new forms of resistant starch before exploring their impact in areas such as the bacterial breakdown of carbohydrates in the large intestine and if this process promotes a healthy gut, the impact on stimulating good organisms in the gut and preventing bad bacteria which may cause disease, decreasing the proportion of food which is wasted and increasing its availability to be used efficiently for normal body functions, generating more energy and less fat, decreased sugar response and improved regulation of blood sugar levels, reducing the levels of potential cancer cells in the large intestine, improved immune response and improved salvage of water in the large intestine.
This allowed research to be undertaken to find ways to provide these benefits in foods and pharmaceutics to enhance gut health with treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases that cause inflammation in the digestive tract, constipation, the development of probiotics and prebiotics for improved bowel health, increased bone strength, decreased body fat, provide gluten free dietary fibres and enhanced hydration treatments for the treatment of acute diarrhoea and supporting active people everywhere.
The practical delivery of these benefits led to the development of the world’s first commercial natural resistant starch ingredient, Hi-maize™ in 1992, and enabling the launch of the revolutionary Wonder White™ bread in Australia in 1994. This was the first of many foods including the Hi-maize range of resistant starch ingredients, such as baked foods, pasta, breakfast cereals, biscuits, confectionery, snack foods, chips, noodles, bars and beverages, that have been developed and made available in many countries around the world since that time.
Ian has detailed these discoveries in 34 patents and patent applications and described them in more that 100 papers, articles and book chapters. He has worked with Professor Graeme Young since the early 1990’s in the area of gastrointestinal health, the prevention of colorectal cancer and enhanced hydration.
