Transgenic wheat boosts fiber content

These indigestible starches lower the rate of blood sugar uptake and increase the passage of fiber into the large bowel and potentially reducing the risk of developing obesity, diabetes, and bowel disease.

Matthew Morell and colleagues experimentally silenced two wheat genes that regulate the synthesis of amylopectin, which together with amylose make up starch. The resulting amylose-rich starch becomes much more resistant to digestion than normal starch. In a dietary study, rats fed the transgenic wheat displayed greater gastrointestinal health compared with rats given standard wholemeal wheat, as shown by increased wet weight of bowel contents and lower bowel pH. The rats also had increased levels of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) in their feces. SCFA are generated by large intestinal bacteria through starch fermentation and have been associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer.