TEHRAN (MNA) – Iranian researchers at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences have produced a type of prebiotic macaroni that can prevent or considerably reduce the possibility of contracting colon cancer.
Amir Amini, the project manager, told Mehr News that his team has succeeded in producing a type of macaroni that is rich in both nutritional and medicinal properties, and is considered among the functional food that contains health-giving additives.
Amini maintained that at present the age for developing colon cancer in Iran has decreased due to poor diet, adding "this type of macaroni however is able to boost the individual’s health and prevent or at the very least, considerably reduce the possibility of getting colon cancer.”
He noted that the majority of functional foodstuff are either probiotic or prebiotic, adding "prebiotic foodstuff is better since probiotics are naturally found in the body but in few numbers. The consumption of prebiotic food will increase their numbers and have a healthier impact on the body.”
Amini explained that probiotics are live microorganisms that are good for health, live in the lining of colon, and feed on prebiotics.
He noted that no prebiotic macaroni has yet been produced in the country, adding "the current produced fibered macaroni enriched with bran leaves the body without any health-giving effect, while prebiotics have a considerable effect on the growth of beneficial bacteria in the body.”
"Prebiotics reduce the amount of bad cholesterols in the body and have clinical effects for the consumer,” he added.
He stressed that there is no foreign or domestic prebiotic macaroni, adding their version is still a prototype and is in need of sponsors to reach mass production.