The gut has to be one of the most complex organ systems in the human body. Some scientists have even called it the second brain.
Countless microorganisms reside in the intestine and bacteria play a very important role in general health, not only in the digestive.
A recent study by scientists at Kings College London has shown that a handful of almonds could make the gut healthier.
Almonds increase the production of short-chain fatty acid butyrate which improves intestinal health. The experts analyzed the effects of the compound on the composition of good bacteria in the intestine.
Scientists and medical professionals are still trying to discover the mechanisms and processes by which the microbiome works in the gut and affects health.
The KCL team recruited 87 adults who were already consuming less than necessary amounts of dietary fiber and who also regularly ate junk foods such as potato chips.
The participants were divided into groups of three. One group started eating 56g of whole almonds daily. Another took 56g of ground almonds and the third was the control group who started taking combined energy muffins.
The results, published in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, showed that butyrate was found to be produced in significantly higher amounts in people taking ground or whole almonds.
The fatty acid is like a fuel for the cells of the colon. The compound creates favorable conditions for bacteria and microbes to grow and thrive.
This results in a stronger intestinal wall, less leakage and inflammation, as well as optimal absorption of nutrients.
