Feeding Your 'Good Gut Bacteria' May Help With Appetite Control
There are 10 times more bacterial cells in the body than there are human cells, with the greatest concentration in the intestinal tract. The gut microbiome is complex and diverse, but has a fundamental physiological role. Prebiotics are functional foods that ‘feed the good bacteria’ to maintain a healthy digestive system and modulate immunity. However, from a recent randomised control trial conducted by Hume et al. it was proposed that prebiotic supplementation may also aid appetite regulation in obese individuals [1]. From discussing their results within the context of wider research, including both animal and human studies, it has been concluded that there are inconsistencies in observations from human trials regarding the role of prebiotics in appetite control and obesity prevention, but that it may still be beneficial to frequently consume prebiotic containing foods to promote a favourable microbial composition, and, simultaneously, increase the fibre content of the diet. Th