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Young Scientist Research Award: Cereal grains: Impact on gut microbiota and health
D. ROSE (1). (1) University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, U.S.A.

Whole grains have received little attention related to their impact on gut health. This is likely because the majority of the non-digestible carbohydrates in whole grains are crosslinked, insoluble, and incompletely utilized by the gut microbiota. Indeed, a significant proportion of the dietary fibers in whole grains pass through the gastrointestinal tract without modification. However, individuals that consistently consume diets high in total dietary fiber, and especially insoluble dietary fiber, may harbor gut bacteria that are better equipped to ferment the recalcitrant dietary fibers in whole grains and produce byproducts that are beneficial to our health. Processing techniques may also be used as a means of increasing microbial fermentation the dietary fibers in whole grains and thus improve the impact that whole grains have on the gut microbiota and health.

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