'I'm a nutritionist - everyone should eat this ultra-processed food for gut health'

Nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert has suggested that everyone should eat a popular ultra-processed food to improve their gut health.

Asked by interviewer Olivia Attwood on her So Wrong It’s Right podcast if “baked beans or beans in general” would make people “gassy” Rhiannon said that baked beans were OK because they sat in the “beans and pulses” food category.

Rhiannon explained: "It’s kind of a fad because it depends on how used to having baked beans you are or beans in general because your gut buds love beans and pulses.

“So, when they eat a food, they then give off gas as a byproduct. So if you’re not used to eating a high amount of fibre and suddenly you do, your gut buds will go crazy.

“[It’s] an example of an ultra-processed food that’s good and you should have because it’s one of the super six, it’s beans and pulses.

“I want everyone to get more and also replace some of your animal produce every week. For example, if you have meat every day try and swap it for half and half.”

During the interview about health and diets, Olivia also asked Rhiannon if she had any food vices of her own. To Olivia’s surprise, Rhiannon revealed that she had one major habit when she was pregnant.

She said: “I know I’m a nutritionist but it doesn’t mean I eat perfectly. I love sugar. I think there’s definitely a psychological component to it but when I was pregnant I could live off milk chocolate buttons, I mean like daily, it was bad.

“So just to make anyone feel better we all have our things, but now if I’m looking at it I now for instance pick chocolate that doesn’t have as much preservatives in it.”

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Rhiannon also explained that the best way to develop new food-eating habits was actually to not take the all-or-nothing approach and to instead let yourself occasionally have what she called “enjoyed items”.

She said: “I’m a big believer…that if you allow yourself enjoyed items you’re less likely to binge, less likely to overeat and you do not have these crazy cravings. It’s people that are very all or nothing…it’s not helpful because it doesn’t instil a healthy relationship with food.”

Gut health forms a major part of how the body operates and there are a myriad of foods that can either improve or worsen how the gut operates. According to a body of research, drinking coffee could be a good method of supporting the body’s health in this area.

Speaking to the Telegraph registered nutritionist Nicola Shubrook explained how coffee supports the gut: “The microbiome comprises legions of species of ‘good bacteria’ that work collectively and individually to improve our health. These microbes are increasingly being seen to benefit our metabolic health, weight management and mental health.

“Coffee contains several compounds that act as a prebiotic, which means that they nourish the probiotic beneficial bacteria by providing them with nutrients necessary for growth and function.”