What Are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics and Probiotics: What's The Difference?

Prebiotics definition Prebiotics are nutrients that are not digested by our bodies directly, but serve a useful function in the digestive process nonetheless. They provide an energy source for the probiotic bacteria in our gastrointestinal system.

Prebiotics are sometimes called fermentable fiber.

In other words, prebiotics help probiotics do their jobs better. For this reason, nutritionists refer to prebiotics as a functional food.

Prebiotics and probiotics You've probably heard of probiotics. These are bacteria that are found in your colon and other parts of your digestive system. They help process the food you eat. They are therefore called "beneficial," "friendly," or "helpful" bacteria, as opposed to the types of bacteria that can get into our digestive tracts and cause illness or disease.

Probiotics strengthen your immune system, help your body produce vitamin K (which plays an important role in blood clotting) and promote overall colon health.

But lately, more and more attention is also being paid to something known as prebiotics.

Prebiotics can help combat a condition known as dysbiosis. This condition occurs when antibiotic therapy, stress and poor dietary choices cause a bacterial imbalance in your digestive system and too many bad bacteria begin to grow. Dysbiosis is believed to be connected to disorders and conditions like yeast infections, irritable bowel syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

Medical and nutritional researchers still have a lot to learn about prebiotics. But evidence so far seems to indicate that prebiotics can

• reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea (see our article on colon infections)
• reduce your chances of getting diarrhea while traveling,
• help you get over stomach flu faster
• improve colon health and bowel function, including problems caused by colitis and irritable bowel syndrome
• aid calcium absorption, and
• strengthen your immune system.

Prebiotic foods You can find prebiotics in a number of foods. They occur naturally in

• Artichokes
• Bananas
• Barley
• Berries
• Chicory
• Dairy products
• Flax
• Garlic
• Greens, such as dandelion greens, chard and kale
• Honey
• Leeks
• Legumes
• Oatmeal and other whole grains
• Onions
• Wheat

As you can see from the list above, high-fiber foods like certain fruits, vegetables and grains are plentiful sources of prebiotics.

However, you can also find prebiotic foods in certain dietary supplements and even some processed foods, such as yogurt, drink mixes and meal-replacement bars. Check food labels, but remember that some foods that include prebiotics don't always list them.

If you use prebiotic supplements, you can sprinkle them on your food, stir them into your drinks. Of course, some prebiotic supplements are available in capsule or tablet form. or taken as capsules or tablets that you swallow or chew.

Be aware that prebiotics have been known to cause gas in some individuals.

There are currently no government guidelines about how many daily grams you should include in your diet. Best "guesstimates" right now range from 3 to 8 grams.

Of course, you should check with your doctor before adding any prebiotic supplements to your diet, especially if your taking medications for some kind of health condition or disorder.

In many cases, prebiotics fall in the carbohydrate category, but some non-carbohydrates also fit the definition, which was formulated by Belgian biomedical researcher Marcel Roberfroid in 1995.