Health & Fitness UK – September 2019

NUTRITION EXPERT

H&F’s nutritionist Amanda Hamilton digests this month’s diet news

ACID ATTACK

Protect

your teeth

if you drink

a lot of

kombucha.

EAT THE RIGHT
TYPE OF FIBRE
We’re not eating anywhere enough fibre
(average intake is around 18g versus
the 30g recommended), so the fact that
more and more fibre-boosted foods –
breads, cereals bars and even yoghurts

• are coming on to the market would
  seem like a good thing.
  But although attempts by the food
  industry to get more fibre into our diets
  is laudable, the approach being used –
  supplementing products with isolated
  fibre sources often made in a lab rather
  than using whole food sources – isn’t
  always good for everyone.
  If you have a sensitive gut, some
  fibres such as inulin, chicory root
  and resistant starches can cause gut
  discomfort. This is because these types
  of fibre produce gas when they’re acted
  on by gut bacteria.
  Not only this, but many of the foods
  that fibre gets added to are inherently
  quite unhealthy, such as cakes and
  bakes, while foods with naturally-
  occurring fibre tend be generally more
  nutritious and healthy.
  My view? Go easy on foods that are
  fibre-fortified – they might be great in
  theory, but getting it from proper food
  is better. And if you have IBS, be very
  careful, or you could end up suffering.

You probably already know that fizzy

drinks and fruit juice can harm your

teeth. But if you’ve been knocking

back the kombucha – the fermented

tea drink with healthy bacteria in it

• you’ve probably been giving your
  teeth just as much of an acid wash.
  According to the American Dental
  Association, kombucha drinks have
  a pH in the 2.5 to 3.5 region, close to
  pure lemon juice at 2.25. Acid harms
  the teeth by pitting and eroding

enamel, and giving ‘bad’ bacteria the

environment they need to form the

plaque that harms gums and leads

to tooth decay.

You don’t have to give up kombucha

(which, if well made, can be good for

your gut), just take care how you drink

it. Use a straw or swill your mouth out

with water after consuming. And don’t

clean your teeth for around 30 minutes

afterwards, as the enamel may still be

softened and could be brushed away.

CHEESE TIPS FOR SENSITIVE GUTS

Q I’ve just been diagnosed with lactose intolerance. Could you tell me

which cheeses are lower in lactose?

A

In many cheeses,

much of the lactose

has been converted

to lactic acid, which is

what gives cheese it’s

tangy flavour.

Cheddar, Camembert,

Cheshire, pecorino,

Swiss, Brie, blue cheeses

and Parmesan are

generally the best of all,

as most of the lactose is

drained off with the whey

at the beginning of the

manufacturing process.

However, you may have

trouble with cheeses

including Edam, cottage

cheese, ricotta, halloumi,

feta and cream cheese

as they still contain

some lactose.

As a general rule,

the softer the cheese,

the more lactose it’s

likely to contain, so

choose carefully.