Hello,
I would like to ask, if I am fasting and therefore not consuming any polysaccharides or fiber, do the intestinal bacteria suffer as a result? I am uncertain about this and I would not want to starve the gut biome to death.
Thank you.
Intestinal microorganisms feed on mucin (mucus produced by the intestinal lining) during fasting, but they also tend to consume each other. During longer fasts, you can never entirely avoid the risk of a certain decimation of the gut microbiota. However, this does not necessarily mean it is entirely detrimental, as every ecosystem is challenged by events within the natural order of nature, which ultimately lead to the formation of a new environment (from an evolutionary perspective, with the potential for new diversity and greater stability).
Themes: Fasting Fiber Polysaccharides
Questions answered by
Mgr. Martin Jelinek
Lecturer and author of the educational system
Nutrition educator, lecturer, and author of the educational system and the ZOF learning application.
Mgr. Martin Jelínek has been systematically involved in nutrition education since 1999. He is the founder of ATAC, the educational company behind NutriCourses, and the author of an educational system focused on nutrition, healthy lifestyle, and the practical application of nutrition knowledge.
He graduated from the Faculty of Science at Masaryk University in Brno. Throughout his professional career, he has combined nutrition, education, and the practical application of acquired knowledge. His educational system also includes the ZOF (Zone of Optimal Functioning) learning application, where students turn theory into practical work with meal plans.
In 2007, he launched the first intake of a six-month course focused on the education of nutrition advisors. Over time, this course became the foundation for the further development of the educational system and a range of specialised courses.