The Monash University
Department of Gastroenterology is researching the impact of a
high prebiotic diet. This diet is designed to establish a healthy balance of gut bacteria, needed for optimal health. While the diet is essentially a high fibre diet, it emphasises the consumption of foods that are high in prebiotic fibres. Prebiotics are fibre compounds that pass through the stomach and small intestine undigested. When prebiotics arrive in the large intestine, they promote the growth and activity of resident beneficial (probiotic) bacteria. Having a healthy balance of gut bacteria may benefit digestion, the absorption of minerals and immune system function.
