MACs (Microbiota-accessible carbohydrates)

What are MACs? MACs are carbohydrates accessible to the microbiota. To help you understand better, it is the fiber portion of foods that intestinal microbes can metabolize. When we talk about fiber, we refer to the indigestible part of food, but it has been shown that part of that fiber can be metabolized by our microbiota, these are MACs, and they do not only come from plants, they are also found in other foods, for example in some animal tissues. What does this mean? In principle, that if you consume a wide variety of products of plant origin, and if possible, from different sources, your microbiota will be more varied. And why so much effort on the microbiota? Because it has been seen that a healthy microbiota (the more diverse, the better) reduces chronic inflammation, promotes metabolic balance, and prevents dysbiosis, the origin of many other diseases.

But exactly, where are the MACs? In which foods? Fundamentally in foods of plant origin.

Keep one thing in mind, all MACs are fiber, but not all fiber in foods is MACs.

MACs are fiber, but not all fiber is MACs

So the question is: Which fiber is NOT a carbohydrate accessible to the microbiota? Cellulose! Hemicellulose and lignin are not fermentable either.

These are fibers that are not digestible or fermentable by the microbiota.

And what part of the fiber IS? Well, pectins, mucilages, resistant starch, beta-glucans, fructans, inulin, and galactoolisacharides.

Foods rich in MAC’s for a healthy microbiota:

These are foods that provide beta-glucans, pectins, resistant starch, mucilages, fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and also inulin.

At this point I’m sure you’re eager to know what foods you should eat to provide all these MAC’s to your diet.

• Beta-glucans: Mushrooms and algae.
• Pectins: Quinces, apples, lemons, oranges and tangerines, blueberries, currants and grapes.
• Resistant starch: cooked rice and potatoes (cooled 24 hours before consumption)*, in cooked and sprouted legumes, sweet potatoes, cassava, and plantains.
• Mucilages: Figs, flax and chia seeds, agar-agar seaweed.*
• FOS/inulin: Garlic, onion, leek, artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes.

Fermented vegetables are also a good source of carbohydrates accessible to the microbiota; they provide us with natural probiotics that will only improve our microbiome and strengthen our immune system.

Maintaining a healthy microbiota improves the health of your intestine.

We know the importance of maintaining a healthy microbiota, we know that the gut-brain axis is essential and determines many aspects of our health.

The brain, the intestine and the microbiota are connected to each other. A healthy microbiota helps us prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, a healthy connection between the intestine and the brain can prevent allergies, anxiety, stress, digestive diseases, etc.

Knowing what to eat to care for and strengthen our microbiota is as important as knowing what NOT to eat so as not to harm it.

What other foods contribute to maintaining the microbiota in good conditions?

• Fermented vegetables and dairy products.

In the vegetable group, any fermented vegetable, greens or fruit provides microorganisms. You can prepare them at home with water and salt (brine), preferably with organically grown vegetables, controlling the times and temperatures.

As for dairy products, kefir, yogurt and cheese made with raw milk are the dairy products that provide the most probiotics. The ones we buy have been pasteurized; with this process, most of the live microorganisms are lost.

For this reason, although they provide some nutritional value (calcium, vitamins and less lactose than milk), they are not as beneficial for the microbeas well as homemade fermented dairy products.

The quintessential fermented drinks are kombucha and rejuvelac.

• Fermented drinks.

Kombucha and rejuvelac are two fermented drinks that also provide probiotics and can be of great help to your health. Learning to prepare them is not difficult, but they require some learning. Their benefits are multiple and they are safe to make at home.

Kombucha is an infusion of fermented tea with a SCOBY (colony of bacteria and yeasts), you can add fruits and spices to add flavor, its health benefits are multiple, and are immediately noticeable when consumed regularly.

Its consumption has some limitations, especially if you suffer from SIBO (bacterial overgrowth) or in case of diabetes, because the tea is sweetened so that together with the starter and the SCOBY, the fermentation process begins.

The sugar is consumed by the bacteria and yeasts during the process, it is their food, but some of it still remains in the final result oscillating between 2% and 7%.

Alcohol is also generated, but in the final drink it is usually very low, less than 1%, which is why it is not considered an alcoholic beverage, but you should take this into account if you are going to offer it to children.

If you want to learn more about kombucha, I recommend The big book of kombucha by Hannah Crum, or The art of fermentation by Sandor E. Katz.

It is important to read and research to learn how to prepare it, know its benefits and know how to enjoy it.

Rejuvelac is somewhat less known, it is the result of fermenting germinated wheat grains, it is a drink rich in probiotics, also called “the enzyme drink”, it provides probiotics and improves digestion.

Its creator was Ann Wigmore, and she attributed rejuvenating powers to it, hence its name. As I have already said, rejuvelac provides enzymes and probiotics, and can be made from any grain or seed.

Rejuvelac is very perishable and is not marketed, it can only be prepared at home, I have not tried it yet, if I decide to, of course I will tell you about it.

• Sprouts.

I cannot finish this section without mentioning sprouts.

Sprouting improves the nutritional contribution of food, increasing the concentration of nutrients, more vitamins and minerals.

Legumes, seeds and sprouted grains are digested much better, they have a higher concentration of enzymes, essential for proper digestion.

So far, the foods that contribute to improving the microbiota, next I want to talk to you about those you should avoid.

Foods that you should NOT consume if you want a healthy microbiota:

1. Refined flours and starches in excess.
2. Sugar in any of its forms.
3. Industrial pastries, including cookies, breakfast cereals, slimming bars.
4. Ice cream.
5. Sweeteners.
6. Vegetable oils (sunflower, palm, etc.).
7. Any ultra-processed product: sauces, carbonated drinks, packaged fruit juices, processed meats, margarine, instant noodles, powdered soups, etc.
8. Alcohol.

What does all this mean?

It’s very simple, try to consume real foods, just as they come from nature, do not buy ultra-processed products, avoid their consumption at all coast.

Replace machine snacks with fresh fruit or nuts, boiled eggs, celery, carrots, hummus, cheese, etc.

Prepare a broth and freeze it in portions; you can make soups very quickly and without complications.

If you can, learn to ferment both vegetables and dairy products at home.

Avoid industrial pastries and cookies, change your breakfasts, and prepare desserts at home for special days.

Reduce your sugar consumption, look for natural substitutes, and get your palate used to eating less sweet foods.

In short, cook whenever you can.

Recipes rich in MAC’s:

• Mushroom sautee.
• Spaghetti de calabacín con algas.
• Salteado de lentejas-germinadas. href=”https://www.missblasco.com/salteado-de-lentejas-germinadas-con-verduras/”>Salteado de lentejas-germinadas-con-verduras.
• Tomato and cucumber salad.
• En>Salada vegetables.

• It’s the microbiota, Sari. Arponen.
• Refuerza tus defensas. Álvaro Vargas.
• Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what bacteria you have. Blanca García-Orea Haro. microbiota. Dra. Silvia Gómez Senent.

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• The art of fermentation. Sandor Ellix Katz.
• The big book of kombucha. Hannah Crum.
• The book of the sprouts. How to cultivate them and use them to have more health and vitality. Ann Wigmore.
  
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