OhMyGut in an interview - delicious and healthy for your intestines

After we from Kombuchery talked to nutritionist Adrienne Tonner about our Kombucha, I immediately took the opportunity to ask Adrienne from OhMyGut a few questions about her hobby horse, intestinal-healthy nutrition. I would like to share their insightful answers with you here. You will learn more about the impact of gut health on our immune system and our psyche , how fantastic gut-friendly nutrition can taste and how you can easily start with the first steps for your gut health . Afterwards you will find Adrienne's Immune Booster Bowl with our delicious Kombucha.

Would you like to briefly introduce yourself and explain the core of your work or passion?

I'm Adrienne I am a nutritionist, cookbook author and knowledge and food blogger on ohmygut.de , the healthy food blog that is all about gut-friendly nutrition. When I did my training as a nutritionist, I really became aware of the importance of the intestine for our holistic health . It is closely connected to our entire organism. For a long time, the intestine was an organ that received little attention and should be given much more attention. During my specialization on the topic, I found a lot of specialist literature on the subject of intestinal health, but unfortunately only less culinary inspiration that really makes you want to eat an intestinal-friendly diet. So I thought, "Fine. Adrienne, take care of it now and show how fantastic gut-friendly nutrition can taste! "

I would like to address the topic of intestinal health with you for Kombuchery. How important is the intestine for our health, our well-being and our psyche?

Very important. Over 70% of our immune defense cells lie dormant in the intestine. If our intestinal mucosa is healthy and the intestinal flora is in a healthy balance, then our immune system is also stronger. We are not so susceptible to infectious diseases, which is becoming increasingly important these days.

Our gut is also the only organ that can work independently of the brain and has its own nervous system. According to research, it consists largely of tissue materials that are also found in the brain. In addition, the intestine is able to communicate with the brain via neurotransmitters. These are hormones such as dopamine, adrenaline or serotonin. This happens via the so-called gut-brain axis . As a result , our intestines have a direct influence on our psyche , our thinking and feeling.

A small example: About 95% of the feel-good hormone serotonin is formed in the intestine. When we eat well and help our bodies produce serotonin, we can literally eat ourselves happily with the help of our gut . crazy, right?

In particular, the topics of anti-inflammatory and the influence of sugar and sugar substitutes have increasingly come into focus.

1. There is always talk of inflammation in the body. Is this also important for healthy people? Also with regard to intestinal health?

In fact, in our Western diet we tend to eat too much pro-inflammatory foods and too little anti-inflammatory foods . This leads to an imbalance and can encourage secret inflammation in the body.

You have to know: Our body is an incredibly fascinating apparatus that constantly regenerates and tries to eradicate small inflammations. However, constant fueling with pro-inflammatory foods such as trans fats, alcohol, sugar, saturated animal fats or preservatives and emulsifiers that attack our intestinal mucosa can overwhelm the body in the long term. Then inflammation can remain. We often do not notice the inflammation in the intestines directly. They are often expressed through completely different symptoms far away from the intestines: tiredness, bad mood, difficulty concentrating, skin problems, neurodermatitis, susceptibility to infections, allergies, etc. At first glance, one would not think of an inflammation in the intestines. I always highly recommend being self-aware and questioning your diet and how it makes you feel. If, as a "healthy person", I notice that I live a more pro-inflammatory eating style and notice the first physical reactions to it, then it would certainly not be wrong to pay a little more attention to your intestinal health, to reduce inflammation promoters and to eat more intestine-friendly.

2. Do you think different types of sugar affect the body differently? Can you imagine that the relatively low sugar content in our kombucha seems almost insignificant when you consider the abundance of nutrients and good bacteria it gives us?

Sugar

That with the sugar is such a thing. There are many sugar alternatives on the market that give us the good feeling of eating a tad healthier. But in fact, agave syrup, maple syrup, honey, rice syrup, cane sugar, etc. are just sugar. Like sugar, they consist of simple, quickly metabolized sugar molecules: fructose and glucose. Of course, a date or honey contain a few minerals in addition to sugar, which is of course better in proportion than a heavily processed, refined sugar that is completely free of vital substances. But in the end it remains sugar. It messes up blood sugar levels, promotes cravings, has an inflammatory effect and inhibits fat burning.

The one exception I really recommend for sweetening is yacon syrup . Here, the fructose molecules are present as long, firmly connected fructose chains. We're talking about fructans here. And these are not metabolized by the gut like sugar, but like prebiotic fiber . Dietary fibers provide nourishment for the intestinal bacteria, which promotes a healthy intestinal flora and also keeps the blood sugar level stable. For everyone who is interested in Yacon, I would like to recommend yacomo-food.com . Here you can find Yacon Syrup sustainably packaged in organic quality at a fair price.

But now we come to Kombucha. I think this is a really exciting product. Firstly, you have to consider that the sugar in this product has a real reason to exist because it is the breeding ground for the fermentation. Most of the sugar is converted during the fermentation process. What is left over from Kombuchery is fortunately not a lot of sugar. Kombucha can contain up to 10% sugar. Kombuchery is way below that and that's why I'd happily recommend it as a soda alternative . The combo of little sugar paired with living microorganisms and nutrients is a great mix. There's the small amount of sugar in mine. eyes totally acceptable. It's the sum that counts in the end. By the way, I also find kombucha very exciting for vegans. Because the fermentation produces vitamin B12 , which is difficult to absorb from natural sources.

We can feed our intestines with fiber, probiotics and prebiotics. Could you briefly explain the three terms?

fiber

Dietary fibers are plant components that cannot be broken down by our digestive enzymes. They reach the large intestine undigested, where most of our intestinal bacteria are located. They serve as food for our bacteria. Just like humans, food helps bacteria grow and thrive. The better off the good beneficial bacteria are, the better off we are too. That is why we should always include sufficient dietary fiber in our diet . According to a national consumption study, however, many Germans are below the recommended minimum value of 30 g of fiber per day. Unfortunately.

prebiotics

Prebiotics are a special form of fiber. Not only are they food for bacteria, they also increase the activity of bacteria and stimulate their growth and reproduction. When prebiotics are digested, acids are produced that have a positive effect on our intestinal mucosa and create a favorable climate for the beneficial bacteria in our intestines.

probiotics

Probiotics are live bacterial cultures that B. caused by fermentation or a long maturation process. They're like migrant workers who make their way to the intestines via the food route. In order for them to have a positive effect on the intestinal flora, however, they must be eaten, drunk or taken in sufficient quantities and, above all, regularly. Because probiotics from the outside have it much more difficult to settle in the intestine. The already established bacteria defend their territory.

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How can we imagine the right ratio of good to bad gut bacteria?

First of all, it has to be mentioned that the classic good-and-evil thinking is not entirely correct. Sure, there are bacteria that are more beneficial than others. Some form anti-inflammatory end products, others more pro-inflammatory ones. However, it is not the bacterium and its properties alone that decide how we are doing, but above all the right relationship between the bacteria. Every bacterium has its right to exist in our intestines. As in a healthy society, “diversity” is also important in the gut! The more different strains of bacteria we have, the better.

It is important that the bacteria that are particularly good for us always have the upper hand . The more they hold the scepter in their hands, the more our health benefits from it. With the right diet, we can control this ratio in a targeted manner. Because different bacteria also have different culinary preferences. The particularly beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria, lactobacilli and Akkermansia muciniphila love prebiotics, for example. If you eat a lot of it, you are already making a big contribution to a better intestinal balance.

What do you think of probiotics? Are there any characteristics of a good probiotic that everyone should look out for and can you recommend taking it?

I think probiotics will play a big role in nutritional medicine in the future. At the moment, however, research is only able to breed a small part of the bacteria that live in our intestines in the laboratory. When taking probiotics, for example, you can never supply the intestine with all the relevant bacteria that might be good for you, but only with a fraction of the microbes.

A tip: A microbiome analysis is often a good idea in advance. This way you know where there is an imbalance and can specifically supplement the probiotics that you are missing.

Another tip: If you want to supplement probiotics, then you should pay attention to a particularly high number of bacteria (20 billion, for example) and rather rely on synbiotics. A synbiotic is a mixture of pro- and prebiotics. In this way, the probiotics are supplied with bacterial food and can settle more easily.

What is the basis of all gut-friendly recipes?

In short: A prebiotic, probiotic and anti-inflammatory diet that builds up the beneficial bacteria in the gut over the long term and breaks down hidden inflammation.

How important are fermented products in our diet?

I'm a big fan of absorbing important nutrients that are good for us as naturally as possible . That means eating a mostly plant-based, whole-foods diet fortified with fermented foods and omega-3 sources can provide you with many of the important nutrients you need—without having to take pills or supplements. In exceptional cases such as veganism, pregnancy, breastfeeding or illness-related deficiencies, this can of course still be useful. But I believe that a healthy person can achieve a lot with nutrition. And fermented foods should also be an important part of this diet . In addition, they are also really delicious in culinary terms. I think a lot of people don't even realize how much probiotic foods we eat every day. It's not just kombucha , it's also sauerkraut at grandma's, kimchi at Korean's, soy sauce at Asian's, fresh yoghurt in the morning or pickled cucumbers for dinner. All of which are tasty and rich in living microorganisms if they haven't been specially heat-treated.

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What can everyone easy start with to do something for their intestinal health?

So that everyone can really do something, I have written a guide for more intestinal health in my book. You have to know that there are numerous factors that affect our intestines. Not only diet plays a role. Mental health is also important.

Turning everything inside out at once is often difficult. I am convinced that small steps are always best. For example, you simply look at the numerous nutritional and lifestyle tips in the book to see what you think can be implemented quickly.

A few tangible examples

• Eating less meat , for example, is an important thing to reduce pro-inflammatory factors. For example, you could start here and say: “Ok, from now on I’ll eat vegetarian or even vegan more often. I'll try that now."
• Eating more prebiotics and probiotics is also often easy to do. Just look at the list of all pre- and probiotic foods. What do you like? Then just add it to your menu more often or let yourself be inspired by ready-made recipes on my blog or book.
• Less preservatives in food is another point, for example. The best remedy is to cook fresh. But that is often time-consuming. The solution: meal prep – planning and preparing meals. That's why there are also various meal prep ideas in my book.

Adrienne's Immune Booster Bowl

You can find many more tips and inspiration on what else to do on Adrienne's blog . For anyone who also has a soft spot for browsing cookbooks and trying out new recipes, I can heartily recommend her cookbook “OH MY GUT, IS DAS LECKER!” . (You can also find the cookbook here .)

Happy cooking and good health!