Probiotics & Prebiotics: A Natural Way to Improve Your Gut Health & Immune System

Prebiotics are foods that are extremely beneficial for our gut health when consumed in the recommended amounts. Prebiotics are a source of food for the beneficial bacteria in our gut that keeps. The beneficial bacteria in our gut break down prebiotics to create a variety of short-chain fatty acids that perform a number of functions, such as providing energy to our colon cells, aiding in reducing inflammations, boosting immunity, and helping with mucus production.

Probiotics refer to tiny micro-organisms that our body needs to keep us and our gut healthy. Probiotics occur naturally in fermented foods and in cultured milk but it is also found in manufactured probiotics supplements. Eating foods that are rich in probiotics is a way of introducing good bacteria to our body, which helps fight the bad bacteria and helps our body digest food properly.

Let us look at the role of probiotics and prebiotics in our gut and our body in general.

Role of probiotics- Probiotic foods contain live organisms, usually specific strains of bacteria that directly add to the population of healthy microbes in our gut. The main role of probiotics in our body is to maintain a healthy balance between the good and bad bacteria in our body. The good bacteria in our bodies help fight off the bad bacteria during infection and help restore the balance within the body to make us feel better.

Good bacteria also help our body digest food, absorb nutrients properly, protect the cells of our gut from bad bacteria which you may have consumed through food or drinks, and the break down and absorb medications. Probiotics help relieve certain digestive issues such as colic, ulcerative colitis, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, and Crohn’s disease.

You can reap the benefits of probiotics through food or supplements. Fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, and Greek yogurt are excellent sources of probiotics. Probiotic supplements also contain a blend of beneficial microbes. Although probiotics are considered safe for most people, they can cause side effects such as gas and bloating. Therefore, you should consult your doctor before trying out a new probiotic supplement. 

Role of prebiotics- Prebiotics refer to the nondigestible carbohydrates on which probiotics or the good bacteria present in our gut feed. Eating prebiotics encourages the multiplication of bacteria in our gut. Prebiotic-rich foods include- bananas, garlic, onions, whole grains, chicory, seaweed, and honey. Wheat, barley, peas, beans, chia seeds, and asparagus.

The International Scientific Association of Probiotics and prebiotics suggests that a food item is classified as a prebiotic if it is not broken down by stomach acid and digestive enzymes if it can be fermented by intestinal microbes, and if it stimulates the growth or activity of intestinal bacteria.

Our large and small intestines are home to a variety of microorganisms and bacteria that carry out several interesting functions, such as absorbing nutrients, boosting our immunity, and promoting proper digestion of food. When our body is unable to perform these functions properly, it is at an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Diet, lack of exercise, chain smoking, and excessive consumption of alcohol adversely affect the diversity and number of microorganisms present in our gastrointestinal tract. Foods that are rich in prebiotics are essential for a healthy microbiome. Prebiotics also have a major role in the makeup and function of gut bacteria.

Takeaway

Both prebiotics and probiotics are extremely important in feeding and introducing good bacteria into our body, which is incredibly important for a healthy immune system, healthy skin, proper digestion, oral health, and improved mental health.