There is a diet called SCD for people that have various intestinal
problems. It seems somewhat based on a paleo style diet. The carbs that are
recommended for people with IBS, Crohn's etc. are simple one molecule
sugars, or foods that can be broken down that way by cooking. Cooking some
foods will break down the poly or di-saccharides into mono-saccharides, as
in potatoes, or wheat, otherwise we wouldn't be able to digest them very
well. Someone suffering from IBS would need to take this to another level to
find foods they can eat without them bothering their guts.
Some people, so the book claims, lack or do not have the enzymes
necessary for breaking down the more complex carbs. There is a book called,
"Breaking the Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall.
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/
Maybe you don't have Crohn's or IBS, but reading the book or the SCD
websites may help to understand the theories about how the carbs that are
not properly broken down, just end up feeding bacteria in the intestine that
causes gas and irritation in some.
http://www.healingcrow.com/dietsmain/scd/scd.html
Based on the information I have read, it seems that fiber may not be so
friendly after all.
There was an article I read a while ago that suggested that the bacteria
in the gut may determine why we gain weight and others don't. I think that
what you eat may determine the type of bacteria that can survive. If someone
ate a lot of carbs, they would likely have more bacteria that thrive on
sugars and undigestable (to us) fiber. These bacteria may be beneficial to
get more energy from the plants we eat. If these bacteria are lacking or not
in overgrowth, then perhaps the more complex carbs that we are not normally
able to digest may be treated as fiber, and pass through without getting the
energy from them.
These theories may explain why some get gas and others don't. Or not.
"Bob in CT" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:That won't cause me severe gastrointestinal distress.
I've been trying to eat more fresh/raw vegetables, and a variety of such
vegetables. However, I ate some fresh broccoli, which caused me terrible
intestinal gas/grumbling/bloating. Are there other raw vegetables to
avoid?
--
Bob in CT