Wonder Bread Good For Us? No Way! Way
Remember that spongy white stuff your mom used to put peanut butter and jelly and tomatoes and mayonnaise on? It's baaaa-aaa-ck, and it's maybe not so bad, after all. Scientists are now reporting that this much-maligned food seems to encourage the growth of some of our most helpful inhabitants — beneficial gut bacteria, according to newswise.com. Sonia González and colleagues note that the bacteria in our guts, or our microbiome, play an important role in our health, the Web site reports. "When certain populations of bacteria drop, people become more prone to disease. One of the most effective ways to maintain a good balance of the microbes living in our guts is through our diets. To figure out what dietary ingredients promote helpful bacteria, several studies have looked at the effects of individual fibers and probiotics. But few researchers had investigated the role of polyphenols, which are common in much of what we consume — spices, teas, fruits and ve...