You’ve probably heard the terms “prebiotics” and “probiotics” when it comes to digestive health. Both are essential for the health of your digestive system, particularly the bacteria that dwell in your gut, generally known as the microbiome.
Probiotics are the “good” bacteria that keep your body healthy, whereas prebiotics are the foods that encourage their growth.
Before we go into the advantages of each, it’s crucial to understand why these beneficial microorganisms are so important.
The Gut Microbiome’s Contribution to Your Health
In point of fact, your digestive tract has been dubbed the “second brain” because it is a complicated system that transmits and receives a wide range of information from your “first” brain.
Numerous receptors in your gut’s “brain” gather information about digestive tract conditions. After that, it sends signals to your “first” brain, which uses that data to control how your digestive system works.
However, signals can also travel in the opposite direction, as your “gut reaction” probably demonstrates. Your gut gets a signal from your brain when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, and before you know it, your stomach is churning.
Consequently, it is essential to encourage the development of “good” bacteria in your gut. An entire ecosystem of trillions of distinct bacteria, fungi, and viruses is known as the microbiome. They can have a significant impact not only on your physical health but also on your mood and can weigh anywhere from two to six pounds.
Since the human body does not have the mechanism to break down dietary fiber, the microbiome’s primary function is to do so.
Furthermore, the microbiome:
- Helps to keep your immune system healthy (much of which resides in your gut)
- Aids in keeping alien intruders who may make you sick at bay.
- Produces a number of important vitamins.
With so many critical functions in defending your health, there is growing interest in the importance of nutrition in maintaining the health of your microbiome. While we don’t know what the optimum microbiome makeup is, we do know that the more diverse the community of occupants in your gut, the better.
The foods you eat have a significant impact on maintaining a healthy balance of microorganisms in your gut, which helps your two “brains” perform properly together.
What Exactly Are Prebiotics?
Prebiotics are, broadly speaking, the substances found in a lot of foods high in fiber. The microbes in your gut are more than happy to do the work for you in a process called fermentation, despite the fact that humans are unable to break down some of the carbohydrates and fiber found in foods like beans, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. In point of fact, probiotics have the potential to improve health by encouraging the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract.
The soluble fibers, which are found in foods like oats, barley, and beans, are regarded as prebiotics out of the two general types of fiber, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibers not only tend to thicken and expand when they come into contact with liquid, making foods more filling, but they also help the good bacteria in your digestive tract grow.
More specifically, you might be told about certain prebiotic compounds like resistant starches found in bananas that are still ripe or fructooligosaccharides, which are naturally occurring in onions, garlic, asparagus, and artichokes and are known to stimulate the growth of bacteria in the lower digestive tract.
What are the advantages of prebiotics?
Prebiotics provide food for probiotics, but they may also have an effect on other organs and systems in the body. Soluble fibers not only assist to fill you up, but they also limit the absorption of sugar into the circulation, which can help typical, healthy people maintain balanced blood sugar levels throughout the day. These same fibers can also aid in maintaining appropriate blood cholesterol levels.
Furthermore, the microbiome:
- Gut bacteria equilibrium is restored.
- Encourages consistency
- Maintains the health of your immune system
What foods are high in probiotics?
Many individuals get their probiotics through fermented dairy products including yogurt, kefir, and some aged cheeses. Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is present in yogurt, is one of the most prevalent kinds of probiotic bacteria that live in your intestines.
Probiotics are also present in the following foods:
- Pickles, kimchi, olives, and sauerkraut are examples of fermented vegetables (only when sold refrigerated; canned products are heated during processing, which destroys the beneficial bacteria.)
- Miso and tempeh are examples of fermented soy products.
- Nondairy yogurts with live active cultures (check for this on the label)
- Kombucha drinks
- Other items containing probiotics include cereals and protein bars.
Should You Use Probiotics and Prebiotics?
The average adult consumes only about a third of the recommended 30 grams of fiber in their diet each day. We are less likely to consume the high-fiber fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that are typically found at home when we are on the go, which contributes to the problem. As a result, there aren’t many good sources of prebiotics available to us. Additionally, you may not be getting adequate daily sources of probiotics unless you regularly consume dairy products or fermented vegetables. In addition to probiotic supplements, fiber supplements that contain both soluble and insoluble fibers can help to fill in the gaps.
In just a few days, you might start to notice changes in how your bowels work when you include fiber supplements in your diet. When it comes to taking probiotic supplements, a lot depends on the strain of the probiotic, the quality of the supplement, and how much you take. Other uses include supporting general health, which may take weeks or months to see results.
Supplements can be taken daily in the quantities listed on the product label. On the other hand, if you’re just starting out with a fiber supplement, it’s usually best to start with a little less than what’s recommended and gradually increase your daily intake. Your digestive system will have time to adjust as a result.
Consistency is the most crucial aspect of taking supplements. Therefore, pick a time of day when you’ll be more likely to remember to take your supplements. Prebiotics can be taken with or without food at any time, but probiotics may be best taken on an empty stomach. This is because probiotic bacteria may not make it to the intestine because stomach acid can degrade them. However, less acidic conditions may be beneficial on an empty stomach.
You don’t have to take your prebiotic and probiotic supplements at the same time, but if you do, it might be easier to get into the habit. Since one serves as a food source for the other, there is no reason why you couldn’t take them both at the same time—this is called a symbiotic relationship.