The Mediterranean Diet Increases Good Gut Bacteria!

Based on the results of countless studies, scientists and many people now consider the Mediterranean diet one of the healthiest diets. A new study has addressed a different issue: the Mediterranean diet may also be highly beneficial for the helpful gut bacteria known as the microbiota.

• What is the Mediterranean diet, and how is it followed?

During their studies, researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center observed that the Mediterranean diet increased good bacteria in the intestines compared with other diets.

The published study defined the Mediterranean diet as predominantly consisting of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish and poultry. It also includes very little red meat (1-2 times a month) and an occasional glass of red wine.

The Mediterranean diet cardiovascular diseasesand various cancers are among the many conditions it helps protect against. In a panel of healthcare professionals, the Mediterranean diet ranked just behind the DASH diet , known as the best diet for diabetes and for significantly reducing risks to heart health and hypertension. But that is not all; the Mediterranean diet may be the best diet for gut health.

• What is gut flora (microbiota, microbiome)? How is it related to colorectal cancer?

Note: Gut flora consists of more than bacteria alone. The microbiota also includes bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi and viruses as well.

The researchers reached these conclusions by studying a group of 20 primates. For 30 months, the primates followed one of two diets:

the Mediterranean diet or the Western diet. Both diets contained the same number of calories. The Mediterranean diet included fish oil, olive oil, butter, eggs, wheat flour, black cumin flour, fruit puree, vegetable juice and sucrose.

The Western diet included lard, butter, cholesterol, eggs, beef fat, high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose.

To determine how each diet affected the primates' gut bacteria, the researchers evaluated stool samples from the animals at the end of the 30-month dietary interventions.

Monkeys fed the Western diet had a 0,5 percent increase in the amount of “good” bacteria in their intestines, whereas monkeys fed the Mediterranean diet had an increase of up to %7 in beneficial gut bacteria.

Approximately 2 billion bacteria live in our intestines; some are known to be good for humans and others bad. If these bacteria are not properly balanced, our health may suffer.

Most studies have shown that bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus, primarily probiotics, increased significantly in the Mediterranean diet group. Lactobacillus is a bacterium that regulates and treats diarrhea and other digestive conditions. In addition to the intestines, these bacteria are found in fermented foods such as yogurt, pickles and fermented turnip juice, as well as certain dietary supplements, and they have a very important role in health.

• What is a probiotic? Is yogurt beneficial for colon cancer prevention and the gut microbiota?