Video: What is WholeFiber? And what are the health benefits?

Dr. Wilbert Sybesma, Expert in Human Microbiome and Gut Health about WholeFiber.

Why are prebiotic dietary fibers so important for human health?

The human body lives in a special symbiosis with trillions of bacteria that live in our gut, more specifically in our large intestine. You can describe this symbiosis as a pact between humans, and the so called beneficial bacteria that live in our gut.

We give the bacteria a place to live and food to eat, and in return the beneficial bacteria ferment the prebiotic fibers into useful products, (such as butyrate, propionate and acetate,) required to help maintain good health for the human host: it strengthens our gut lining and immune system, protect us from bad bacteria, and gives us a full feeling for a longer time after a meal, helping to control our weight. On top it also helps to maintain a normal stool.

Thanks to this brilliant pact many of us can live a long and healthy live.

Prebiotic fibers are key nutritional components that the beneficial/good gut bacteria need. A lack of these fibers can decrease the amount of beneficial/good bacteria, and, as a consequence, increase the risks to become ill.

For instance, it has been shown in several human clinical studies that there is a clear correlation between low prebiotic fiber intake and the risk for so called life style diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain forms of cancer and also depression.

What is WholeFiber and what makes it so special compared to many other Fibers

There are basically three things that make WholeFiber special:

1. WholeFiber is a dried vegetable. It is minimally processed and it consists of small particles of 100% pure chicory root.
2. WholeFiber by itself contains 4 prebiotic fibers, which are good for gut microbiome (the collection of bacteria that live in our gut). These fibers are called inulin, pectin, hemicellulose and cellulose.
3. Due to its natural structure, the fibers in WholeFiber are slowly and gradually released to be fermented. This is the most unique feature of WholeFiber.

It means that when the WholeFiber is entering the large intestine (the place where most of the gut microbes are living), there will be fibers for the bacteria that live in at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the large intestine.

You can say, WholeFiber, for the whole gut microbiome.

How can we best eat wholefiber?

There are many ways you can eat WholeFiber. It can be used in products you buy in supermarkets and fresh food stores, like bread, cereals and meat substitutes.

And you can also buy it on-line and use it at home, as a friendly prebiotic fiber vegetable. For example, you can add a spoonful of crunchy WholeFiber to your yoghurt, sauce or soup, or sprinkle it over your sandwich or salad.