A diet rich in high-fiber foods — such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains — encourage the production of…
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A diet rich in high-fiber foods — such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains — encourage the production of short-chain fatty acids that are beneficial for the immune system and may help protect against the onset of Type 1 diabetes, a study shows.
The findings showed that the western diet, which lacks dietary fibre affects human gut microbiota and the production of short-chain fatty acids acetate or butyrate.
The specialised diet uses starches — found in many foods including fruit and vegetables — that resist digestion and pass through to the colon or large bowel where they are broken down by microbiota (gut bacteria).
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This process of fermentation produces acetate and butyrate which, when combined, provided complete protection against Type 1 diabetes, the researchers said.
"Our research found that eating a diet which encourages the gut bacteria that produce high levels of acetate or butyrate improves the integrity of the gut lining, which reduces pro-inflammatory factors and promote immune tolerance," said Eliana Marino researcher at Monash University in Australia.
"We found this had an enormous impact on the development of Type 1 diabetes," Marino added.
The study, published in the journal Nature Immunology, highlighted how non-pharmaceutical approaches including special diets and gut bacteria could treat or prevent autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes.
"The materials we used are something you can digest that is comprised of natural products – resistant starches are a normal part of our diet. The diets we used are highly efficient at releasing beneficial metabolites. I would describe them as an extreme superfood," explained Charles Mackay, Professor at Monash University.
However, the diet was not just about eating vegetables or high-fibre foods but involved special food and a special process and would need to be managed by nutritionists, dietitians and clinicians, Mackay noted.
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