What happens if we don’t feed our gut microbiota? According to Mahesh Desai, researcher at the Luxembourg Institute of Health, the gut barrier might be destroyed or eroded and that could potentially lead to intestinal diseases. “We have a gut microbiota that is evolved to feed on the fibers that we eat, but it has also evolved to feed on the host-secreted mucus layer, so there has to be a balance between both of these activities,” highlights the scientist.

During the interview, Mahesh Desai tells us about the different types of fibers found in fruit, vegetables and cereals

We had the opportunity to talk to Dr Desai during the 7th Gut Microbiota for Health World Summit, held in Rome. In this video interview, he also talks about the different types of fibers contained in fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and the importance of incorporating prebiotics in our diet in order to maintain a good gut health. “Whole grains are key, because they have a variety of different polysaccharides that feed a healthy gut microbiota.”