THAT’S THE WAY THE COOKIE CRUMBLES Read Online Free

effective against certain types of diarrhea and may also help with bowel disorders such as Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Furthermore, these bacteria may give a boost to the immune system and even reduce the risk of allergies if given to children at an early age. There is some question, however, about whether the helpful bacteria can survive the journey from the mouth, through the stomach and the small intestine, all the way to the colon. There may be another way to address the problem. A nutraceutical way.
    I suspect that some people would raise an eyebrow if they encountered terms such as “fructooligosaccharides (FOS),” “lactulose,” or “inulin” on a food label. These substances may not sound too appetizing, and you may not want to eat them, but the good bacteria in your large intestine find them to be tasty morsels indeed. As far as our bodies are concerned, these complex carbohydrates are just “fiber,” meaning that we do not digest them as food. Our small intestines are not equipped with the enzymes they need to break down these carbohydrate polymers into smaller molecules that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. They therefore pass through the stomach and small intestine unchanged, and they collect in the colon. Here they help make up the bulk of the stool, and, more importantly, they foster the growth of beneficial bacteria and limit the multiplication of harmful ones. We refer to substances that stimulate the growth of specific bacteria in the colon as “prebiotics,” and they are at the forefront of nutritional research. That’s because the potential benefits include the prevention of abnormal cell proliferation (which can lead to cancer), improved mineral absorption, and even reduced blood cholesterol.
    In Japan, numerous foods fortified with fructooligosaccharides and inulin are already on the market, and the trend is coming our way. Where do these chemicals come from? They occur naturally in onions, garlic, and bananas, but not to an extent that would have a significant effect on colonic bacterial populations. We need a daily dose of at least four grams of prebiotics to have any hope of benefit, but double that amount is preferable. Just about the only way we can achieve such an intake is by adding fructooligosaccharides or inulin to processed foods. The most common source of the chemicals is chicory root, from which they can be readily extracted.
    One plant that does contain a significant amount of inulin is the Jerusalem artichoke. The explorer Samuel de Champlain learned about this tuber from the North American Indians and introduced it to Europe. Actually, it is not an artichoke, and it has nothing to do with Jerusalem. The plant is a member of the sunflower family and is sometimes called a “sunchoke.” But it seems that to Champlain it tasted like an artichoke, and the term stuck. Why Jerusalem? The Italians dubbed the new plant from America “girasole” — meaning “turning to the sun.” Somehow this got corrupted to “Jerusalem.”
    In Europe and Japan, manufacturers add Jerusalem artichoke flour to foods to improve their health potential. It’s kind of hard to find Jerusalem artichoke here, but I’m trying. Apparently, you can shred or slice the tubers into a salad or stir-fry.
    There may be a downside. At least there is if we listen to John Goodyear, a British farmer who commented, in the 1860s, “In my judgment, which ever way they be drest and eaten, they stir up and cause a filthie loathsome stinking winde with the bodie, thereby causing the belly to be much pained and tormented, and are more fit for swine than for men.” He may have been right about the wind, but he was surely wrong about the Jerusalem artichoke being unfit for human consumption. Indeed, I wouldn’t be surprised if someday soon we hear Professor Wonder touting the benefits of Jerusalem artichoke flour, which he has added to Wonder Bread. He may even say something about improved calcium