What role does our gut play in our overall well-being? And what do Bifidus cultures have to do with it? To answer these questions, we first need to take a detour into the world of the gut – probably the most underestimated organ. In doing so, we address the following questions:
• What functions does our gut fulfill in our body?
• What is meant by the term «gut microbiota»?
• What can we do to promote our gut health?"
The gut is a 5.4-meter-long tube with a diameter of 3-5 cm. Its inner surface consists of folds, villi, and so-called microvilli, causing a massive enlargement of the gut surface and ensuring highly efficient nutrient absorption. However, our gut is not only responsible for proper nutrient absorption and the regulation of hunger and satiety – it is also actively involved in the regulation of metabolism, the immune system, as well as the nervous system and hormones. We will explain how this works in the next section.
Just as the Gotthard Pass in Europe is a crucial transportation axis, the recently discovered gut-brain axis appears to be one of the most significant communication axes in the human organism. Put simply, communication between the gut and the brain occurs through three pathways: via the vagus nerve, connecting the gut and brain; through hormones released by the gut, and also through the gut bacteria. Throughout their lives, these bacteria produce various metabolic products and immune cells. The gut influences the brain much more strongly than previously thought, with 80-90% of information flowing from the gut to the brain and only 10-20% from the brain to the gut. This fact, along with the realization that many people with chronic illnesses have issues with their gut, quickly led science to the chicken-and-egg question: Could it be that an unhealthy gut predisposes the development of other diseases or even serves as the cause of various chronic conditions? Everything so far points to an unhealthy gut being at the beginning. What does this mean for us? If we want to feel healthy for as long as possible, we should be mindful of our gut and its inhabitants. Before delving into the details of how we can do this, let's first get to know the gut inhabitants a bit better in the next section.
The gut microbiota, colloquially known as the gut flora, encompasses all bacteria, fungi, and viruses living in the intestines. Various bacterial families are present in the gut, such as the genera Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Escherichia, and more. Depending on the composition of the gut microbiota, different metabolic products and immune cells are produced, exerting a direct impact on our physical and mental health. The production of more anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory substances has either positive or negative health consequences. In a healthy gut microbiota, there is, simplistically put, an ideal balance between health-promoting and harmful bacteria, with the diversity of bacteria also playing a role. A large variety of different bacteria is associated with a healthy microbiota. Imbalance in the microbiota, termed dysbiosis in scientific literature, occurs when pro-inflammatory or "bad" bacteria dominate, sending various pro-inflammatory signals via the gut-brain axis to the brain and other parts of the body. This can result in an overall feeling of discomfort. It is now known that the microbiota plays a key role in mood, cognition, pain, and the regulation of body weight. How can we positively influence our microbiota and thereby achieve greater physical and mental well-being?
Taking care of our gut involves exerting a positive influence on the bacteria residing within it, known as the microbiota. The development of the microbiota begins very early, during birth. A natural birth combined with subsequent breastfeeding is the perfect start in life, promoting the diversity of the microbiota, especially health-promoting bacterial genera like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. However, even if the start in life is different, a healthy gut microbiota is still achievable. Much can be influenced through a healthy diet and sufficient physical activity. In a healthy or microbiota-friendly diet, two substances play a key role: the so-called prebiotics and probiotics.
Prebiotics are non-digestible substances and belong to dietary fibers that the microbiota uses as an energy source or "food." The resulting anti-inflammatory substances have a positive effect on our health. Prebiotics are abundant in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Examples of prebiotics used in our muesli include inulin and oligofructose. Currently, the recommended daily intake of dietary fibers is 25-35 grams, but the ideal amount is likely higher, around 50 grams. Probiotics are living microorganisms, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, that exert a positive effect on our health. Good sources of probiotics include foods like yogurt, kefir, or sauerkraut. Such mostly fermented foods not only contain probiotics but also other health-promoting substances.
To incorporate gut-friendly substances like prebiotics in sufficient amounts, the Mediterranean diet is highly suitable. Alongside ample dietary fibers from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, the diet is characterized by its anti-inflammatory secondary plant compounds (such as polyphenols) and high-quality fats (olive oil, fish, nuts, seeds).
Regular consumption of fermented foods or foods containing health-promoting bacterial cultures.
Physical activity promotes microbiota diversity – the more frequent and intense the activity, the greater the impact on diversity. Don't forget about relaxation after exercise (see the last point)!
Excessive sweets contribute to dysbiosis or the growth of health-damaging gut bacteria.
Certain additives like artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers also contribute to dysbiosis or the growth of health-damaging gut bacteria.
If not absolutely necessary, avoid the use of antibiotics. In certain illnesses, antibiotic therapy is, however, essential and life-saving.
Stress management, adequate relaxation and sleep play a crucial role in maintaining a gut-friendly lifestyle. Consider mindfulness practices or other activities that promote mental well-being.
For those who have paid close attention, it's noticeable that our Bifidus activ Granola supports your good gut feel. With its high dietary fiber content and active Bifidus cultures, it contributes to the first two aspects already. ;-) Learn more about the product here.
Those who have children are well aware that during the first two to three years of life, the child changes faster than ever before. In science, this unique window of time in a person's life - i.e. the period between conception and approximately the third year of life – is called "window of opportunity" This is because during the period of the first 1000 days or so, the brain develops rapidly and thus exhibits enormous plasticity. This brain plasticity enables children to learn an enormous amount within a very short time, such as crawling, sitting, walking and finally speaking. Conversely, this means: Never again can a child be so strongly influenced and shaped as in this unique time-frame. One more reason for parents to look into the imprinting of their own children. But even if we missed this unique phase, we should not bury our heads in the sand. Also slightly older children from the age of 4 up to the teenage years learn a lot from their parents. In the lower sections we will deal with a sub-field of imprinting, the so-called food imprinting. We will look into the following question and give practical advice: How can we influence our children in such a way that they become ""health conscious"" their whole lives, i.e. choosing the healthier option each time?
Children are world champions in imitating their parents, because this is how they learn most things. So it makes sense how important it is for parents to set a living example to their children by eating healthy food themselves.
Regularly eating together with the whole family is twice beneficial: While the parents decide what is served, the parents can show and explain to the children what each food product is good for. You can best combine this by telling a realistic story about the individual healthy components of the meal, e.g. ""Carrots help you to see better because they contain vitamin A"" or more childlike phrasing ""Muesli for breakfast is good and healthy because the oatmeal helps to clean our intestines from "bad bacteria", etc..
Children at home only eat what they find in the fridge or in the pantry. This means for parents that healthy food imprinting begins when shopping. Ideally, at the beginning you should go shopping without children, because supermarkets offer them many temptations. If the children join you, you can specifically select which shelves you want to avoid.
Parents often reward their children with sweets. Why not simply turn the tables? Fun-cut raw vegetables like carrots shaped into a crown or a cucumber throne taste just as good. Then wrap it into a lovely story with a king or a princess.
This is alreday our next tip: Involve children when cooking. This way, children will learn, in a playful way, how to prepare healthy food.
Of course, a tasty birthday cake should not be missing. How much sugar it contains and what ingredients it is made of can be easily influenced by us. Meanwhile, there are many ""delicious"" recipes with little sugar and fine fruits or vegetables as main ingredients. How about a juicy zucchini cake in a green Shrek look? Or else, apple-rose muffins for Sleeping Beauty? If parents also tell a lovely story when serving the cake, it will be associated with good food for a lifetime. You can find good and at the same time healthy recipes based on our two Kids Crunch crunchy mueslis, inspired by beaver Bobby and squirrel Elly here.
What's the best way to avoid becoming overweight? To start with, we need to understand how being overweight develops. In the following sections, we've provided a brief, evidence-based insight into scientific models that explain how people become overweight – and how this can be avoided. We'll look at three questions: - What role do carbohydrates and proteins play in becoming overweight? - Does protein really have a positive impact? - What is the ideal protein intake?
Insulin is a hormone made by our bodies that fulfils various functions, i.e. it is released in greater quantities by our pancreas as soon as our blood sugar level (or more accurately, our blood glucose level) rises. Insulin removes glucose from the blood and enables it to be absorbed by our body's cells. In simple terms, the hormone keeps blood sugar levels in check and gives cells energy in the form of glucose.
One explanation behind why people become overweight is the carbohydrate-insulin model (CIM), which runs counter to the 'traditional' energy balance model. This model says that the only thing that matters, if someone is overweight, is the amount of calories consumed. This approach has obvious weaknesses. CIM, conversely, says that it's not about the calories per se, but the type of calories. It links a diet high in refined – and by extension, quickly digestible – carbohydrates with being overweight. Put simply, this involves the following mechanism taking place in the body: if we eat lots of quickly digestible carbohydrates multiple times a day, we will have a chronically high blood insulin level because the insulin needs to reduce the high blood sugar level (or actually, the glucose level). Some of the glucose is stored in the liver and muscle as a carbohydrate reserve. As these stores are limited, excess glucose is converted into fat. Normally, full fat cells send a signal to the brain that there's enough energy available, which, in turn, leads to you feeling full. However, insulin blocks this signal, i.e. we keep feeling hungry – and we continue to eat more. This is exacerbated by the fact that sugar triggers our reward centre. Instead of using up our fat reserves, they're topped up even more. It's a vicious circle.
Now, what about protein? How does this impact being overweight? After extensive research, two biologists David Raubenheimer and Stephen Simpson performed a study in 2003 that explored a hypothesis relating to the role of protein. They called their work 'The Power of Protein'.
In this study, participants were able to eat from various rich buffets until they felt full, over a period of several days. The buffets differed in terms of the proportion of the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate and fat) they contained. One buffet had foods full of protein but low in carbohydrates and fat, while the other had lots of low-protein, high-carbohydrate, high-fat foods. They noticed that participants ate much more when the buffet had lots of low-protein, high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods than when the buffet was primarily composed of protein-rich foods. This led to the hypothesis that protein governs macronutrient consumption – a theory that has since been confirmed multiple times and is now referred to as 'protein leverage'. In simple terms, we eat until we've consumed our target amount of protein. Only then are we satisfied. As a result, we automatically ingest less energy when we eat food with a higher protein content – reducing the risk of becoming overweight. As a result, the carbohydrate-insulin model and the protein leverage hypothesis don't contradict each other: they're two sides of the same coin.
You'd be wrong to think 'the more protein, the better', though. Rather, it's about getting the ideal quantity and quality of protein in our diet. The reference values for our daily intake are currently 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. Taking into account modern research, though, the optimum quantity is actually 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilo, per day. Just two small 50-gram portions of our High Protein Low Sugar Strawberry Vanilla Crunchy Müesli provide a third of the ideal daily protein intake for a person weighing 60 to 70 kg.
Have you heard of our new pure balance Ancient Grains & Apple Crunchy Müesli? In this product, we use three ancient Swiss Knospe-certified organic grains: emmer, perennial rye and einkorn. Find out more about these native ancient grains.
Emmer (also known as 'hulled wheat') is one of the oldest grain varieties and is a predecessor to wheat and spelt. Its well-known wild form has only been re-cultivated in Switzerland, in small quantities, since 2016. Emmer grains have a strong, full-flavoured taste. They have a higher protein concentration than wheat and contain more fibre. They also provide precious carotenoids such as beta carotene, for instance, which functions as an antioxidant.
Perennial rye, also known as wild rye, is another ancient, robust species. It can grow more than two metres tall, is highly winter-resistant and has a nutty, aromatic, full-flavoured taste. As an ancient variety of rye, perennial rye contains 50% more dietary fibre than regular rye. However, perennial rye also boasts a sizeable concentration of protein, trace elements and B vitamins, making it a valuable ingredient in our three-grain flakes. Plus, perennial rye also loosens up the soil, thereby providing a good basis for vegetable cultivation.
Like emmer, einkorn is one of the oldest types of grain in the world and played a highly significant role as far back as the Neolithic period. Einkorn is a robust and undemanding plant, but has only been re-cultivated in Switzerland – in tiny quantities – since 2016. Einkorn also has a higher protein concentration and lots of valuable carotenoids, along with dietary fibre and minerals. Einkorn has a slightly yellow hue due to its high concentration of beta carotene.
Protein is a biological nutrient made up of a chain of organic compounds called amino acids, with a wide range of functions that are vital for life in human organisms. For instance, proteins provide structure for the muscles and heart, they are important for healthy nails and hair, and for transporting red blood cells and hormones around the body. Proteins are therefore also very important for muscle development, especially in athletes.
Amino acids are the smallest components of proteins. You can think of a protein as a chain of pearls tangled up in a ball, where the individual pearls are the amino acids. There are a total of 20 amino acids, which are responsible for the composition of proteins in living beings. Of these, nine are considered essential amino acids. Essential in this context means that they must be provided in our diets and cannot be produced by the body on its own. The nine essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.
The protein in our High Protein low sugar crunchy Müesli comes from the grains, pulses, nuts and seeds it contains – specifically oats, wheat, pea, almonds, flaxseed, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
A bowl of High Protein low sugar with or without milk provides a balanced protein composition: all nine essential amino acids are included (see amino acid profile, figure 1 [with milk] and figure 2 [without milk]). Essential in this context means that the amino acids must be provided in our diets and cannot be produced by the body on its own. The amino acid lysine is present in the lowest amount in High Protein low sugar, which is typical for a cereal product. The best way to meet your daily protein needs is therefore to opt for lysine-rich foods in other meals, or add lysine-rich ingredients to your High Protein low sugar crunchy Müesli. Examples of lysine-rich plant-based foods include a wide range of nuts, seeds and pulses. You can find the perfect recipe here.
The Mindful Crunchy Müesli is packed with superfoods. In addition to whole grains, this includes a wide variety of different nuts and seeds such as cashews, almonds, chia seeds, linseed, amaranth, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. These crunchy nutrient bombs provide valuable omega 3 fatty acids and iron, both of which are beneficial to our mental fitness. Just one 50g serving provides you with enough iron to promote normal cognitive function.
If you are going through a demanding time (e.g. studying or prepping for final exams) and you want to have optimal concentration, you should try to include as many brain foods as possible in your diet. In addition to vegetables, these include nuts and seeds, as well as fatty fish and pulses. Evidence suggests that these foods provide you with essential nutrients that your brain needs to function at its best. A cup of coffee or tea or a piece of dark chocolate can also have a positive effect on your cognitive abilities in the short term. If you want to be in good mental shape in the long term, we can give you the following five tips:
Getting enough iron is essential for maintaining optimal oxygen supply, which in turn is essential for unrestricted cognitive performance. Just one 50 g portion of Mindful will give you around 30% of your daily iron requirements. However, since the iron in cereals cannot be fully absorbed by the body, it is best to include other iron-rich foods such as meat and pulses in your diet.
Make sure you eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Try to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day, in a wide range of different colours. These plant foods contain a large number of plant secondary compounds, which can help to protect our body from oxidative stress. A number of these bioactive plant compounds, such as polyphenols, are currently being investigated in clinical trials as a possible therapy for Alzheimer's disease.
Make sure you are getting enough omega 3 fatty acids. The body cannot make enough of the two essential omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA by itself from alpha-linolenic acid (found, for example, in flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts). We need to get the rest through our diet. One valuable source is fatty fish. Vegans should take a food supplement.
Move for at least 30 minutes every day. This strengthens your immune system and helps your body protect itself against oxidative stress in the long term.
And last but not least: take pleasure in the little things in life. According to scientific findings from Alzheimer's research, a positive attitude is the best way to keep your brain strong and healthy for life.
You can find an ideal recipe for focused brain power here: Brainpower Balls.
The Youthful Crunchy Müesli contains the superfoods pomegranate, currants, cocoa and amaranth as well as important whole grains. Superfoods are naturally rich in nutrients. Pomegranate seeds and berries in particular contain valuable plant secondary compounds. In addition, the zinc contained in Müesli can protect our cells (including skin and hair) from oxidative stress. When combined with vitamin D, this supports the immune system even more. This ensures enhanced vitality and glow.
If you want to literally glow from within, the most important thing is to eat a balanced diet that has a rich variety of fresh vegetables and fruits. The best way to enjoy your fruits and vegetables is to 'eat the rainbow'! That's because each colour represents a different plant secondary compound, which in turn fulfils a different function. Plant secondary compounds are defensive compounds that protect the plant from external influences. Have you ever wondered how it is that an apple, an aubergine or a tomato has such an intense colour and evenly plump skin despite stressful environmental influences? In addition to the high water content and cell-protecting micronutrients such as zinc and vitamins, this is also due to the plant secondary compounds.
Plant secondary compounds include flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, phytoestrogens, glucosinolates, sulphides, monoterpenes, saponins and phytosterols. Below you will find a brief overview of the plant secondary compounds that can also be found in our Müesli, depending on the ingredients. The possible health effects were mainly observed in pre-clinical animal trials and in-vitro tests.
Found in e.g: apples, pomegranates, berries, plums, various vegetables, black and green tea Importance for the plant: red, light yellow, blue and violet pigments Possible health effects: antioxidant, antithrombotic, blood pressure lowering, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antibiotic.
Found in e.g: whole grain products, nuts, cocoa, coffee, tea Importance for the plant: defence compounds against predators Possible health effects: antioxidant
Found in e.g: carrots, oranges, apricots, tomatoes, peppers, green vegetables Importance for the plant: pigments (yellow, orange, red) Possible health effects: antioxidant, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory.
Found in e.g: cereals and pulses (e.g.: soybeans), linseed Importance for the plant: plant hormones.
Found in e.g: legumes, soy, oats Importance for the plant: bitter compounds. As you can see, what is good for the plant is very likely to be good for us. So create your own rainbow of different-coloured fruits and vegetables every day and discover new radiance!
Dietary fibre is perhaps just as important for glowing from within. From a chemical point of view, dietary fibres are many sugar molecules strung together. The sugars in fibre can only be used by our bodies to a small extent, which means that their effect on the body is very different to other sugars. Dietary fibres enter the large intestine in a mainly undigested state, where they are broken down by our intestinal bacteria into short-chain fatty acids and other health-promoting compounds. These compounds have an anti-inflammatory effect on various processes in the body and also lay the foundation for the development of healthy intestinal flora.
A healthy intestinal environment creates the best conditions for a strong immune system and balanced skin. The gut also uses the 'gut-brain axis' to signal to our brain that it is healthy and happy. The result: we feel good and this is visible in our radiant appearance. It is not for nothing that the skin is often called the mirror of the soul.
Good sources of dietary fibre are whole grains such as whole oats, nuts, seeds, legumes and of course fruits and vegetables. So let's get going: enjoy a bowl of the nutrient-rich Youthful Crunchy Müesli plain, or try adding fresh berries and pomegranate seeds. You can find a recipe for a Youthful Berry Bowl in the Recipes section.