Keeping your bones strong is essential for your quality of life and function. When you think about keeping your bones strong the first thing that probably comes to mind is drinking a glass of milk. A fact which is less well known is how prebiotic fibre promotes strong and healthy bones. The link between your gut health and bone health is considered so strong that it has been coined the gut-bone axis.
Prebiotics are a type of fibre which feeds the good bacteria or probiotics found in your gut. This promotes an optimal range of diverse and type or strains of microbes which aid in keeping your body functioning at its best. This includes your body’s ability to use the calcium you eat and drink in your diet and allow this vital mineral for bone health to be taken to your bones.
Prebiotic fibre has been shown in research to increase the amount of calcium your body absorbs in your large intestines. This is where most of the microbes reside. The benefit of prebiotic fibre can support your body in creating its peak bone mass in adolescence but also to reduce bone loss in postmenopausal women.
The prebiotic food work to promote bone health by promoting a healthy gut microbiome with diverse variety of strains. These release signals which promote the growth and maintenance of bone strength. These microbes also alter the acidity, regulate normal processes to create strong bone and reduce inflammation which can cause a negative effect on bone health.
Adults need 25-38g of fibre each day. This can be achieved through including a diverse range of plant foods like wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Including a diverse range of different plant foods will help feed different types of good bacteria which protect your body in different ways.
Take home message: More than 50% of children and more than 70% of adults fail to meet their recommended daily recommendation of fibre for health. Including enough fibre in your day is a key step towards creating and maintaining strong bones for life.
References:
- Zaiss MM, Jones RM, Schett G, Pacifici R. The gut-bone axis: how bacterial metabolites bridge the distance. J Clin Invest. 2019 Jul 15;129(8):3018-3028. doi: 10.1172/JCI128521. PMID: 31305265; PMCID: PMC6668676.
- Chen YC, Greenbaum J, Shen H, Deng HW. Association Between Gut Microbiota and Bone Health: Potential Mechanisms and Prospective. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017 Oct 1;102(10):3635-3646. doi: 10.1210/jc.2017-00513. PMID: 28973392; PMCID: PMC5630250.
- Whisner CM, Castillo LF. Prebiotics, Bone and Mineral Metabolism. Calcif Tissue Int. 2018 Apr;102(4):443-479. doi: 10.1007/s00223-017-0339-3. Epub 2017 Oct 27. PMID: 29079996; PMCID: PMC5851694.
