Prebiotics in Jimmy Joy Plenny Shake

Wait, what? What's a prebiotic? Is it a new sexual orientation? Am I a prebiotic?

Let us introduce you to the trillions of tiny creatures living in your belly, the so-called “gut microbiota” [1]. Feeling itchy all of a sudden? No need to worry, these creatures aren’t nibbling on your insides, they’re just chopping up leftover food we can’t digest.

You see: after we eat, our body breaks down the food into tiny components, pieces small enough to be absorbed by the so-called epithelial cells in the wall of our intestines, after which they pass into our bloodstream. We have plenty of mechanisms to cut food into nutrients ourselves, but we need the help of our little intestinal gang to break it down so that we can absorb these nutrients. The intestinal gang has the ultimate set of knives and scissors to cut up your food [2].

Another mechanism they help us with is to prevent harmful bacteria from settling in our intestines by not leaving them room and by betraying them to the immune system [2]. So yes, it's like an eighties mafia movie in your guts.

The relationship you have with your gut microbiota is symbiotic, like a relationship. It’s a balance of give and take. We feed them and they help us. Okay, wait, that’s not exactly how a healthy relationship works, it’s more like… feeder territory. So you’re in a bonding relationship with your gut microbiota. And how do you feed them? With their favorite: prebiotics! These are non-digestible carbohydrates that benefit us by stimulating the gut microflora so that we get health benefits [3].

Plenny Shake V 2.1: Feeding you, feeding your intestinal gang

At Jimmy Joy we are committed to providing you with the healthiest food scientifically possible. And keeping your gut gang happy is an important part of that – we don’t want them to get all upset and put a horse’s head in your bed. That’s why we’ve decided to add prebiotics, coming from inulin, oats, soy and flaxseed. Let’s see why we chose these sources.

Inulin

We added inulin because it serves as a direct food source for some of the good microflora in your gut. They help keep you healthy by reclaiming their turf in your intestines and leaving less room for harmful bacteria to grow. Inulin also helps with weight control and increases calcium absorption [3, 4].

Oatmeal

Oats are the main ingredient in our Plenny smoothies, and the main prebiotics in oats are soluble fibers called β-glucans. β-glucans do a lot for you: not only do they confuse you about how to pronounce your name, but they can also lower your blood pressure and blood cholesterol level. As a result, they can reduce the risk of diseases in your heart, which is helpful if you have one [5]. On top of that, β-glucans help improve the glucose response rate after meals and thus improve insulin sensitivity [6-8].

Soy

We need to have a little chat about an unavoidable side effect of food: poop. The faster your stool leaves your body, the better, because it reduces the time cancer-causing compounds are in your gut [5]. Soy has a lot of insoluble fiber: mainly hemicellulose and cellulose, which are polymers that make up plant cell walls [9]. These compounds help increase the weight and volume of stool. And if you remember Newton and the apple, gravity will pull your heavier stool out of your intestines faster. It's like a Formula One race in your gut, with turds instead of cars. We're so sorry about that visual.

Flax seed

Last but not least: flaxseed. Flaxseed is an excellent source of viscous fibers [10], so named because of how they form gels when mixed with body fluids [11]. These fibers have an overall effect on lowering blood pressure and as a result, may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease [12]. Like flaxseeds, soybeans also contribute to the Formula One race by increasing stool weight and volume [10, 13].

To top it off, all of these fibers can be converted into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) [5], which makes your immune system work better [14].

Overall, what you need to remember is that this gang of bacteria living in your gut needs to be taken care of. With Plenny Shake V 2.1, we help you do just that. So your gut gang can keep removing nutrients from your food and keep out the nasty bad bacteria trying to steal your territory.

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Sources:

1.      Thursby, E. and N. Juge, Introduction to the human gut microbiota. The Biochemical journal, 2017. 474(11): p. 1823-1836.
2.      Gaboriau-Routhiau, V. and N. Cerf-Bensussan, [Gut microbiota and development of the immune system]. Med Sci (Paris), 2016. 32(11): p. 961-967.
3.      Mohanty, D., et al., Prebiotics and synbiotics: Recent concepts in nutrition. Food Bioscience, 2018. 26: p. 152-160.
4.      Shoaib, M., et al., Inulin: Properties, health benefits and food applications. Carbohydrate Polymers, 2016. 147: p. 444-454.
5.      Ciudad-Mulero, M., et al., Dietary fiber sources and human benefits: The case study of cereal and pseudocereals , in Advances in Food and Nutrition Research . 2019, Academic Press.
6.      Wood, PJ, Evaluation of oat bran as a soluble fiber source. Characterization of oat β-glucan and its effects on glycaemic response. Carbohydrate Polymers, 1994. 25(4): p. 331-336.
7.      Mälkki, Y. and E. Virtanen, Gastrointestinal Effects of Oat Bran and Oat Gum: A Review. LWT - Food Science and Technology, 2001. 34(6): p. 337-347.
8.      Daou, C. and H. Zhang, Oat beta ‐glucan : its role in health promotion and prevention of diseases. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety, 2012. 11(4): p. 355-365.
9.      Riaz, MN, Soy Beans: Processing , in Encyclopedia of Food and Health , B. Caballero, PM Finglas, and F. Toldrá, Editors. 2016, Academic Press: Oxford. p. 48-53.
10.    Ibrügger, S., et al., Flaxseed dietary fiber supplements for suppression of appetite and food intake. Appetite, 2012. 58(2): p. 490-495.
11.    Chutkan, R., et al., Viscous versus nonviscous soluble fiber supplements: mechanisms and evidence for fiber-specific health benefits. J Am Acad Nurse Pract, 2012. 24(8): p. 476-87.
12.    Khan, K., et al., The effect of viscous soluble fiber on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 2018. 28(1): p. 3-13.
13.    Song, BK, et al., Colon transit time according to physical activity level in adults. Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility, 2012. 18(1): p. 64-69.
14. Tan, J., et al., The role of short-chain fatty acids in health and disease. Adv Immunol, 2014. 121: p. 91-119.