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Prebiotics are non-digestible dietary materials that feed probiotic microorganisms and promote their well-being. They can be found in grains and vegetables and promote fermentation in the digestive tract, leading to a better balance of gut flora and potential health benefits such as improved immunity and lower cholesterol. Prebiotics must resist the acidic nature of the stomach and support beneficial gut flora to be considered effective. They can be added to the diet through foods such as artichokes, garlic, and soybeans or through supplements. Future studies will focus on how other types of prebiotics may benefit other types of beneficial bacteria.
While probiotics are widely considered the beneficial gut bacteria necessary for toxin-free vitality, prebiotics are indigestible dietary materials that feed those probiotic microorganisms and promote their well-being. Available in some grains and vegetables, prebiotics in a diet can promote fermentation in the digestive tract. This triggers a better balance of gut flora, which studies have shown can improve immunity, alleviate digestive disorders, lower cholesterol, and potentially lower the chance of getting colon cancer.
Without prebiotics, probiotic colonies would not thrive to become as diverse an army of microorganisms as possible, including several dozen species of digestive blessings like lactobacillus and bifidobacterium. Prebiotics in a diet serve to activate and optimize probiotic activity. These organisms, with names like oligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), galactooligosaccharides (GOS), inulin, and oligofructose, cannot be digested by the human body.
To be considered a prebiotic, a compound must have certain characteristics. The most important of these is its ability to resist the acidic nature of the stomach. Additionally, prebiotics in a diet should support some or all types of beneficial gut flora, promoting the vitality of these organisms through selective fermentation. This action is suspected to help detoxify the intestinal tract and release potentially harmful pathogens.
Probiotics can be added to the diet by increasing your intake of yogurt or, for vegans, the other fermented foods that contain them, from pickled vegetables and miso soup to kombucha tea and meat substitute tempeh. Having prebiotics in a diet means adding other types of foods to the menu, namely artichokes, asparagus, radicchio, garlic, leeks, oats, onions, soybeans, and wheat. Those who want to optimize their intake of any of these often turn to store-bought supplements. These can be purchased as a prebiotic complex or a prebiotic/probiotic combination. Consumers are urged to follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding proper dosing.
According to a 2009 consumer guide from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, study of beneficial prebiotics has been limited primarily to how they stimulate the action of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in the intestines. However, future studies will focus on how other types of prebiotics in a diet might benefit other types of beneficial bacteria. The organization urges consumers to look for confirmed leavening agents in any supplement they purchase such as inulin, FOS, or GOS. Other less proven compounds could be included in a supplement, but are still considered candidates, such as palatinose, polydextrose, and sugar alcohols such as maltitol or sorbitol.
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