Tracking macronutrients — or focusing on the percentage of carbs, protein and fat you consume daily — is touted as a way to ensure you are getting the nutrients you need in the amounts required whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle or just eat more healthfully.
[See: Should You Count Calories or Track Macronutrients?]
But food is much more than its macros. Food also contains micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), metabolites (breakdown substances derived during digestion), phytonutrients (the beneficial substances in plant foods) and microbes (the bacteria and fungi that can be present in our food, as well as used in the processing of foods such as bread, cheese, coffee and wine).
If you’re only focusing on measuring your daily ratio of carbs to protein to fat, you may not consider how those food choices impact the variety and quantity of your microbiome — the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in your gastrointestional tract. The microbiota in your gut are involved in food processing, carbohydrate digestion, energy generation and vitamin synthesis. In addition, the microbiota protect the body from pathogens and also support a healthy immune system.
[See: 8 Secrets of People Who Don’t Get Sick.]
So how can you eat to nourish your gut microbes? By consuming foods that contain probiotics, prebiotics and polyphenols. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast with health benefits; they’re found in dairy and foods with yeast like bread. Prebiotics are non-digestible carbohydrates that provide the food for the probiotics and are present in green beans, soy foods, legumes, cabbage, bananas, barley, garlic, onion, pasta, potatoes and wheat. Polyphenols are chemicals found naturally in plants and are broken down by the gut microbes into substances that may lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and inflammation. Find them in coffee, apples, berries, grapes, dark chocolate, red wine, whole grains, bran, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
So if you minimize carbs in order to meet your macro goals, for example, you may be shortchanging your gut of probiotics, prebiotics and polyphenols, which are derived primarily from fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains — all of which are carbs. If you don’t eat dairy, meanwhile, you may find that your intake of probiotics is low since they are found in cultured and fermented dairy foods such as yogurt and cheese. And, if you’re gluten- or wheat-free, you’re likely minimizing your intake of prebiotics, which are found in wheat-containing foods. You’re also probably lacking polyphenols, which can increase good bacteria content in the gut. That may help explain why research suggests people who follow a gluten-free diet may have less beneficial bacteria in the gut, a suppressed immune system and an increase in bad bacteria. All the more reason to not eliminate these nutrients from your plate.
[See: 8 Food Trends Nutrition Experts Pray Will Never Return.]
So when you prepare your breakfast, lunch or dinner, think on a smaller scale than macros; those microscopic gut microbes need fuel, too. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “My Plate” recommendations suggest that you divide your plate into quarters, filling one with fruits, one with vegetables, one with protein and one with grains. Consider including dairy foods, too. Be as inclusive as you can by including something from each section as part of every meal. Your microbes will thank you.
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Is Tracking Macros Compromising Your Gut Microbes? originally appeared on usnews.com
