There's been a lot of talk in the news about prebiotics and probiotics. Here is a basic summary of what these are and what they can do for you health.
Most people aren't aware that there are millions of bacteria living in their intestines. Certain types of these bacteria are considered “friendly” and perform functions for your digestive tract that helps your body to stay healthy. “Good” bacteria help prevent “bad” bacteria from multiplying, they help make vitamin K, and they keep your immune system functioning properly.
The role of prebiotics and probiotics in your diet is to assist in restoring a proper balance of good bacteria in your digestive system.
Probiotics are a beneficial bacteria found in food. Common strains include the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families of bacteria. They are naturally found in fermented foods like sauerkraut and yogurt, although many foods are now having probiotics added to them.
Some of the health benefits of including probiotics in your diet are:
- Reduction in the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
- Cure candidiasis (yeast infection) and other female uro-genital conditions
- Assists in healing many intestinal infections
- Possibly a reduction in allergy symptoms
- Helps control lactose intolerance
- Promotes regular bowel movements
- Treats eczema in children
Prebiotics are a non-digestible foods that help keep bacteria healthy. They mostly come from carbohydrate fibers called oligosaccharides. Sources of oligosaccharides include fruits, legumes, and whole grains.
Some of the health benefits of prebiotics are:
- Help osteoporosis management
- Relieve menopausal symptoms
- Reduce the onset of cancer
- Increase the absorption of certain minerals, such as calcium and magnesium
Essentially, prebiotics are food for probiotics, and together they help your insides function properly. Probiotic bacteria taken together with prebiotics that support their growth are called “synbiotics.” They work together more efficiently to increase the benefits of probiotics.
Current research indicates that taking probiotics and prebiotics is good for your health on many different levels. However, there are currently no regulations regarding the labelling of foods that contain prebiotics or probiotics. A label can say that their product contains some, but there is no second-party measurement that validates this claim. One of the main concerns is that products saying they contain live cultures do not actually contain enough live organisms to be beneficial, or the organisms are not resistant enough to survive the passage through the stomach acid to reach the intestine. As well, not all strains of probiotics are beneficial to your health, yet there are no rules saying which strains can be added to food products.
Preliminary tests and results certainly show that probiotics and prebiotics are a promising food additive. More research is required to further explore the benefits and costs of these bacteria.
Be sure to talk to your doctor or nutritionist about how you can increase your intake of probiotics and prebiotics to create a nutritional plan that promotes whole body health.
