Gut Bacteria Zoo
- Friday 13th April 2018
From Paleo to the high-fat Keto, today Aussies are constantly inundated with promises of better health and wellbeing through extreme clean diets, the latest ‘superfoods’ and supplements, leaving many of us scratching our heads when it comes to what’s actually good for us.
With so much conflicting information out there about what we should and shouldn’t be eating, it’s no wonder that half of all Australians (51%) feel more confused than ever when it comes to what foods are truly ‘healthy’.
When it comes to our dieting habits, while 65% of Australians have been on a regime that eliminates an entire food group, almost all of us (81%) admit to not being diagnosed with a need to do so. Furthermore, 67% of Aussies who have been on a gluten free diet, admit that they were not diagnosed with an intolerance.
With this in mind, it’s no wonder Australia’s fibre intakes are at crisis levels, with 2 out of 3 Australian adults and 1 in 2 children not meeting their daily recommended fibre intake[1][2].
This fibre inadequacy could be having a major impact on the nation’s gut health, with fibre and especially grain fibre being an essential food source for the good bacteria living in our gut[3] - yet less than half of us (47%) are aware of this fact.
KIIS 106.5 & Channel 9 Medical Expert, Dr. Sam Hay said “Fibre is the only thing we eat that makes it all the way in to the gut still intact. It gives the gut bacteria something to do - they go to work, breaking it down and producing compounds that keep us healthy.
“Grain fibre, like what’s in breakfast cereal, acts as a food source for the gut, it helps good bacteria like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus to survive and thrive. That means a healthier gut”.
To help educate Aussies on the importance of grain fibre to support good gut health, Kellogg’s will open the word’s first ever Gut Bacteria Zoo, in partnership with Wild Life Sydney. The interactive exhibition gives families a chance to get up-close-and-personal with a few of the good bacteria living in their gut via animatronic versions of Bifido (Bifidobacteria), Lacto (Lactobacillus) and Strepto (Streptococcus) - created by one of the world’s leading animatronic engineers.
As well as learning about the ‘heroes in their gut’, visitors will also learn about the ‘bacteria baddies’ via microscopes and educational text around the exhibition.
Belinda Tumbers, Kellogg’s Managing Director said “Through the Kellogg’s Gut Bacteria Zoo, families who visit will get the chance to learn more about these elusive, friendly creatures that live within our guts and how we can help take care of them so they can thrive.
“With fibre, and especially grain fibre, a key food source for our gut bacteria, breakfast cereals are actually a great place to start. We have 17 different cereals that are either a ‘source of’ or ‘high in’ grain fibre – so there is plenty of choice to help support your gut health”.
Kellogg’s Gut Bacteria Zoo Event Details:
April 13th – 17th, 2018
9:00am – 5:30pm
Wild Life Sydney Zoo, Darling Harbour, Sydney
[1] NRA, 2017 . Second Analysis of the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey
[2] 25g for women and 30g for men, National Health and Medical Research Council and New Zealand Ministry of Health (2006). Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Canberra
[3] Fibre from grains promotes the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobaccillius, which supports a positive change in the intestinal microbiota, as part of a healthy and varied diet
